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  • Diatom assemblages in sandy deposits of the 2004 tsunami at Phra Thong Island, Thailand may provide clues to flow conditions during the tsunami. The tsunami deposits contain one or more beds that fine upward, commonly from medium sand to silty very fine sand. Diatom assemblages of the lowermost portion of the deposit predominantly comprise of unbroken beach and subtidal species that live attached to sand grains. The dominant taxa shift to marine plankton species in the middle of the bed and to a mix of freshwater, brackish, and marine species near the top. These trends are consistent with expected changes in current velocities of tsunami through time. During high current velocities, medium sand is deposited; only beach and subtidal benthic diatoms attached to sediment can be incorporated into the tsunami deposit. High shear velocity keeps finer material, including planktonic diatoms in suspension. With decreasing current velocities, finer material including marine plankton can be deposited. Finally, during the lull between tsunami waves, the entrained freshwater, brackish, and marine species settle out with mud and plant trash. Low numbers of broken diatoms in the lower medium sand implies rapid entrainment and deposition, whilst selective breakage of marine plankton (Thalassionema nitzschioides, and Thalassiosira and Coscinodiscus spp.) in the middle portion of the deposit probably results from abrasion in the turbulent current before deposition.

  • This black and white education resource is a 58 page booklet which contains information on geological time, fossilisation, characteristics of major groups of vertebrate and invertebrates, micropaleontology (e.g.. spores and pollen), trace fossils and the uses of fossils. It includes student activities. Suitable for secondary Years 7-10

  • This black and white 64 page education resource examines the dynamic nature of Earth's climate (past and present) and its many influencing factors. Includes student activities. Suitable for secondary Years 7-12.

  • This Fossils booklet will take you through concepts of geological time and fossilisation. It also provides fact sheets on important animals and plants in the fossil record. Each fact sheet contains a description of the organism to aid in identification, information on when, where and how the organism lived as well as interesting facts to grab your students' attention. Students activities are also included.

  • <p><b> Please note: This record has been made available internally for reference only</b> <p>PIMS is a search tool for discovery of survey and well data assets and physical samples held by the Geoscience Australia Repository. Data can be ordered and viewing of samples can be arranged via an online form. Although this is public data, fees are charged to cover the cost of transcription and delivery.

  • The black and white 55 page fossils resource contains information about what fossils are, what parts of living things become fossilised and the most common fossil groups. The process of fossilisation and geological time are also covered. 24 informative illustrated fact sheets cover a wide variety of plant, animal and trace fossils. Includes student activities suitable for primary Years 3-6 and secondary Years 7-10.

  • This set consists of 15 slides and explanatory text detailing the nature of dinosaur fossils from Southern Australia, as determined by scientists working along Australia's southeast coast. Find out about the dinosaurs that lived at polar latitudes between 120 to 110 million years ago and the fascinating methods they developed to cope with the climate of that region. The images include actual fossils discovered and reconstructions of dinosaurs and the plants and animals with which these dinosaurs were associated. Also available on CD-ROM (catalogue item 39797) Suitable for primary Years 5-6 and secondary Years 7-12.

  • This publication was developed as a guide to be used in conjunction with the Geoscience Australia TimeWalk but can also be used as a standalone guide on geological time. Each section in this publication discusses a single geological time interval, and outlines the major geological, climatic and biological events which occurred in that interval. Geological events include continental drift, the break-up and amalgamation of continental landmasses, mountain-building and major volcanic eruptions. Climatic events include changes in the content of the atmosphere and the occurrence of ice ages. Biological events include the evolution of major groups of organisms, the invasion of the land and major extinctions. Other events include changes in sea levels as well as major meteorite impacts. Each section also shows where rocks of a specific age are found in Australia and lists some of the continent's major mineral and energy resources formed during a particular time interval.

  • This set of four charts provide an update of the million year numbers assigned to Australian palynological zone boundaries to the latest Geologic Time Scale 2004, authored by Gradstein et al. (2004), over the geological time interval Jurassic to Recent. These charts have been drafted to help display the relationships of the palynological zones to the new timescale and to assist in scaling the zones and subzones, so that most million year ages assigned to the zone boundaries are mostly numbers with not more than one decimal place.

  • This black and white resource is an 18 page booklet including geological time, rock clocks, the age of famous Australian places, Australia on the move, Australian volcanoes, Ice Ages, Ancient Australian life, how fossils form and some common Australian fossils. Includes student activities suitable for primary Years K-6.