Seabed Morphology and Resource Survey of Christmas Island Region

Christmas Island and its surrounding Indian Ocean seabed are documented for resource and boundary delimitation studies. The dataset includes information on the island's geology, bathymetry, and phosphate deposits. The Australian Ocean Data Network published this record from a 1992 Bureau of Mineral Resources cruise.

Use Cases

• Analyze seabed morphology and bathymetry data for geological feature mapping around the Christmas Rise.
• Assess offshore phosphate deposit locations and historical mining data for resource evaluation.
• Model plate tectonic movements using the documented 7 cm/year northward drift of the Indo-Australian Plate.
• Support maritime boundary delimitation with data on the 200-mile fisheries zone and seabed resources.

Strengths

• Includes detailed geological and bathymetric context for a 700 km long submarine feature (Christmas Rise).
• Provides specific metrics like island area (140 km²), maximum depth of Java Trench (>6500 m), and historical phosphate production (nearly 1,000,000 tonnes/year).

Limitations

• Primary data collection occurred during a single cruise in January 1992, limiting temporal coverage.
• Core data files (HTML, PDF) are narrative reports, not structured, machine-readable data tables.
• Geographic focus is narrow, centered on Christmas Island with limited broader regional context.

Provenance

Source

Australian Ocean Data Network, originating from a Bureau of Mineral Resources (BMR) cruise.

Collection Method

Marine survey conducted using the RV Rig Seismic vessel, as described in a cruise narrative.

Time Range

Survey initiated in January 1992.

Freshness

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Geography

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