AGSO Cruise 210: Swath-Mapping Survey of Eastern Tasmania and Gippsland Basin

AGSO Cruise 210, conducted from 10 to 17 April 1997 aboard the R.V. Melville, collected swath-mapping data of the sea bed east and northeast of Tasmania. The survey used a SeaBeam 2000 multibeam sonar, magnetometer, and gravity meter to map seafloor morphology and character. Its aims included supporting tectonic studies, aiding the fishing industry, and planning future geological sampling.

Use Cases

• Mapping seafloor morphology and roughness using multibeam sonar swath data.
• Conducting tectonic and basin analysis based on bathymetric and gravity measurements.
• Planning future seismic profiling and geological sampling campaigns in the region.
• Informing fishing industry operations with detailed sea bed character data.

Strengths

• High-precision navigation with military GPS achieving an accuracy of about 5 meters.
• Used advanced SeaBeam 2000 multibeam sonar capable of swath-mapping a width 3.5 times the water depth.
• Data collection supported by multiple instruments including a 12 kHz bathymetric profiler, magnetometer, and gravity meter.

Limitations

• Dataset metadata is incomplete; specific column names, row counts, file sizes, and license information are not provided.
• The primary data format appears to be a PDF/HTML cruise report, which may limit direct machine-readability of the underlying geospatial measurements.
• The survey's temporal coverage is limited to a single 8-day cruise in April 1997.

Provenance

Source

Australian Geological Survey Organisation (AGSO), using the R.V. Melville chartered from Scripps Institution of Oceanography.

Collection Method

Marine survey employing swath-mapping multibeam sonar, magnetometry, and gravimetry.

Time Range

1997-04-10 to 1997-04-17

Freshness

Last updated on 2026-04-16 according to platform metadata.

Geography

Sea bed east and northeast of Tasmania, including the deep water part of the Gippsland Basin.