Australian Seabed Sediments: Grain Size and Texture

Over a century of marine sediment samples, collected between 1905 and 2017, are documented in this dataset. It contains point data describing physical properties like %mud, %sand, %gravel, mean grain size, and texture classified using Folk (1954) nomenclature. Samples were sourced from multiple organizations across the Australian Exclusive Economic Zone, Antarctic Territory, Christmas Island, the Timor Sea, and waters around Papua New Guinea.

Use Cases

• Mapping seabed sediment distribution based on %mud, %sand, and %gravel composition.
• Analyzing sediment texture trends over time using the Folk (1954) classification system.
• Correlating sediment properties with water depth and sampling location information.
• Comparing sampling techniques and spatial accuracy across different surveys and organizations.

Strengths

• Contains samples spanning a 112-year time range (1905-2017).
• Includes specific sediment properties: %mud, %sand, %gravel, mean grain size, and Folk texture classification.
• Geographic coverage is extensive, including Australian EEZ, Antarctic Territory, Christmas Island, Timor Sea, and Papua New Guinea waters.

Limitations

• Metadata completeness is low: row count, size, license, and author are unknown.
• There is no consistent datum and projection due to the long time span and differing collecting organizations.
• Sampling technique, spatial accuracy, and sample preservation vary between surveys.

Provenance

Source

Geoscience Australia Marine Sediment database (MARS), sourced from a range of organizations.

Collection Method

Samples acquired by marine surveys; sampling method varies.

Time Range

1905 to 2017

Freshness

Last updated on 2026-06-04 (data_gov_au).

Geography

Australian Exclusive Economic Zone, Australian Antarctic Territory, Christmas Island (Indian Ocean), Timor Sea (outside EEZ), waters around Papua New Guinea.