Australian Ocean Bottom Seismograph Fleet Data for Crustal Imaging

A fleet of Australian ocean bottom seismographs (OBSs) recorded seismic data during commercial surveys in Australian waters. The instruments have a broadband frequency range and three-component recording capability, allowing analysis of both P-waves and S-waves. The dataset, presented at the 2017 APPEA Conference, demonstrates imaging of the crust and upper mantle from industry-standard airgun arrays.

Use Cases

• Imaging crust and upper mantle velocity distribution based on reflected and refracted seismic phases.
• Analyzing S-wave data in addition to conventional P-waves based on three-component recording capability.
• Monitoring seismic survey noise and whale calls for environmental impact assessment.
• Recording passive-source seismic data such as earthquakes and ambient noise.
• Recording active-source seismic data generated by airgun arrays.

Strengths

• Instruments have a broadband frequency range.
• Similar instruments are available at only five or six institutions globally.
• Devices are multi-purpose, recording both passive and active-source seismic data.
• Three-component recording allows analysis of S-waves in addition to P-waves.

Limitations

• Description metadata is limited; actual data quality requires manual inspection after download.
• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count and file size are unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.

Provenance

Source

Australian Ocean Data Network

Collection Method

Data collected by ocean bottom seismographs during commercial seismic surveys.

Time Range

Abstract presented in 2017; specific data collection period is unknown.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-04-10 18:39:05.630827; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Australian waters.