Bight Basin Geological Sampling and Seepage Survey: R/V Southern Surveyor SS01/2007

The Bight Basin Sampling and Seepage Survey (SS01/2007) was conducted in February-March 2007 by the Australian Ocean Data Network. It collected 37 dredge hauls, 69 gravity cores, 15 grab samples, 4600 km of swath data, and 2400 km of sub-bottom profile data from nine areas in the eastern Bight Basin. The survey aimed to sample Cretaceous source rocks and investigate potential hydrocarbon seepage.

Use Cases

• Mapping potential source rock distribution based on sampled Albian-Santonian age facies.
• Investigating active petroleum systems based on geophysical data from potential natural hydrocarbon seepage sites.
• Analyzing seafloor geology based on dredge, core, and grab samples from targeted outcrops.
• Correlating seismic and geophysical evidence with physical samples from the Ceduna Sub-basin.

Strengths

• Survey successfully sampled all nine targeted areas.
• Collected a substantial volume of physical samples (37 dredge hauls, 69 gravity cores, 15 grab samples).
• Acquired extensive geophysical data (4600 km of swath data, 2400 km of sub-bottom profile data).

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Freshness should be verified; last updated metadata is from 2026-06-04.

Provenance

Source

Australian Ocean Data Network

Collection Method

Marine survey using the R/V Southern Surveyor, involving dredging, coring, grab sampling, swath mapping, and sub-bottom profiling.

Time Range

February-March 2007

Geography

Eastern Bight Basin, including Ceduna and Eyre Terraces, Australia