Barrington Dam Site Seismic Refraction Survey, 1961

A 1961 seismic refraction survey provides foundational subsurface data for the Barrington (Devil's Gate) dam and power station site in Tasmania. The dataset, published by Geoscience Australia, was commissioned by the Hydro-Electric Commission of Tasmania. Its primary purpose was to inform the engineering and construction of hydroelectric infrastructure.

Use Cases

• Assessing subsurface rock properties for dam foundation stability based on seismic velocity data.
• Historical reconstruction of pre-construction site investigations for hydroelectric projects.
• Comparing vintage geophysical survey methods with modern techniques in similar terrains.

Strengths

• Data originates from a national geological authority, Geoscience Australia.
• Survey has a specific, documented purpose for a major hydroelectric project.
• Cross-platform presence on data.gov.au indicates established archival status.

Limitations

• Column names and data structure are completely unknown, hindering direct analysis.
• Conflicting 'last updated' timestamps (2026-05-31 and 2026-05-06) suggest metadata inconsistencies.
• No information on data volume, format specifics beyond PDF/HTML, or license terms.

Provenance

Source

Geoscience Australia Data

Collection Method

Seismic refraction survey conducted for the Hydro-Electric Commission of Tasmania.

Time Range

1961

Freshness

Metadata last updated on 2026-05-31 (most recent timestamp).

Geography

Barrington (Devil's Gate) dam and power station site, Tasmania, Australia.