BMR Cruise 107: Seabed Morphology and Resource Data for Christmas Island Region

A 1992 marine survey collected data on seabed morphology and non-living resources around Christmas Island, a raised atoll in the Indian Ocean. The work was conducted by Geoscience Australia using the RV Rig Seismic, following a request from the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. The dataset likely contains information on bathymetry, geology, and phosphate deposits associated with the island's Miocene limestone.

Use Cases

• Map seabed morphology and bathymetry based on the cruise's focus on the Christmas Rise and surrounding abyssal plains.
• Assess offshore resource potential based on the description of phosphate deposits and volcanic geology.
• Support maritime boundary delimitation based on the stated purpose of the study for seabed negotiations.
• Study geological uplift and plate tectonics based on the island's location on the Indo-Australian Plate.

Strengths

• Dataset is associated with a specific, documented research cruise (BMR Cruise 107) conducted in 1992.
• Description provides specific geographic context, including distances, depths up to 6500 meters, and geological history.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Data may reflect geographic/temporal bias inherent to the single 1992 survey.

Provenance

Source

Geoscience Australia Data

Collection Method

Marine survey conducted using RV Rig Seismic.

Time Range

1992

Freshness

Last updated 2026-04-30 13:15:08.484161; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Indian Ocean region around Christmas Island, including the Christmas Rise and Java Trench.