AGSO Formats: Marine Seismic and Navigation Digital Data

AGSO Formats for Marine Seismic and Navigation Digital Data is a technical specification document from the Australian Ocean Data Network. It details the trace header format for digital seismic data, adhering to standards from Barry et al. (1975) and incorporating AGSO-specific mnemonics used in DISCO software. The document explains critical fields like SHOT and SPN, and clarifies a major numbering convention change for data released prior to 1993.

Use Cases

• Interpreting trace header values in vintage AGSO seismic data based on the documented byte positions and mnemonics.
• Relating pseudo shot point numbers (SPN) to original field shot numbers (FFID) in pre-1993 datasets using the described methods.
• Processing merged seismic lines by understanding the re-sequenced SHOT numbering convention described.
• Mapping shot point locations for marine survey sections using the annotation position convention specified.

Strengths

• Documents a specific, historically important standard (Barry et al., 1975) adapted by a national geoscience organization.
• Provides crucial clarification on a major data interpretation pitfall: the shift from SPN to SHOT numbering in 1993.
• Cross-platform presence on data.gov.au signals its role as an official reference document.

Limitations

• No actual data rows or columns are provided; it is solely a format description document.
• Key metadata (size, license, author) is listed as 'None' or 'unknown' across all sources.
• The description is highly technical and assumes prior knowledge of seismic data processing.

Provenance

Source

Australian Ocean Data Network

Collection Method

Created as a technical standard for AGSO (Australian Geological Survey Organisation) digital data.

Time Range

Covers data formats used from at least 1975 onwards, with specific notes for data released prior to 1993.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-06-04

Geography

Primarily relevant to marine seismic surveys conducted by AGSO in Australian waters.