East Antarctic Surface Sediment Grainsize, Biogenic Silica, and Carbonate Data

East Antarctic region (30-150°E) south of 60°S provides sediment data for benthic habitat analysis. This compilation incorporates data collected from the 1950s to 2012, including 472 quantitative grainsize samples, 192 Folk classification samples, 255 calcium carbonate samples, and 304 biogenic silica samples. The data is presented by Geoscience Australia Data to illustrate seabed habitat variations in relation to bathymetry and geomorphic features.

Use Cases

• Modeling benthic habitat suitability based on sediment grainsize and composition data.
• Mapping seabed sediment depocenters and erosional zones in relation to bathymetric troughs and banks.
• Investigating correlations between high carbonate content and hydrocoral occurrence at the shelf break.
• Assessing habitat variability within proposed East Antarctic Marine Protected Areas using sedimentary properties.

Strengths

• Compilation spans over six decades of data collection (1950s to 2012).
• Includes multiple sample types: 472 quantitative grainsize samples, 192 Folk classification samples, 255 carbonate samples, and 304 biogenic silica samples.
• Data is integrated with maps of bathymetry and geomorphic features for spatial context.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Data may reflect geographic and temporal bias inherent to the compilation's source studies.

Provenance

Source

Geoscience Australia Data

Collection Method

Compilation of data collected and analyzed from various sources.

Time Range

1950s to 2012

Freshness

Last updated 2026-04-20 02:52:48.140541; freshness should be verified.

Geography

East Antarctic region (30-150°E) south of 60°S