Australian Ocean Bottom Seismograph Fleet Data for Crustal Imaging

Australian Ocean Data Network presents data from a fleet of ocean bottom seismographs (OBSs) with broadband frequency range. The instruments record passive-source seismic data like earthquakes and active-source data from airgun arrays, and can monitor seismic survey noise and whale calls. Data collected during commercial seismic surveys in Australian waters can image the velocity distribution of the whole crust and upper mantle.

Use Cases

• Imaging crust and upper mantle velocity distribution based on reflected and refracted seismic phases.
• Analyzing S-waves in addition to conventional P-waves based on the three-component recording capability.
• Monitoring seismic survey noise and whale calls for environmental impact assessments during exploration.
• Obtaining regional-scale geological information as a by-product of commercial seismic survey data.

Strengths

• Instruments have a broadband frequency range, which likely provides high-fidelity seismic recordings.
• Similar instruments are available at only five or six institutions globally, suggesting specialized capability.
• OBSs are multi-purpose, able to record both passive-source and active-source seismic data simultaneously.

Limitations

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

Provenance

Source

Australian Ocean Data Network

Collection Method

Data collected by a fleet of ocean bottom seismographs during commercial seismic surveys.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-06-04 08:48:18.302017; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Australian waters