Capel and Faust Basins Geophysical Survey Data from the Offshore Frontier

Geoscience Australia and the RV Tangaroa acquired new geophysical and geological datasets from the Capel and Faust basins, located 800 km east of Brisbane. The data includes approximately 6000 km of 2D seismic data, gravity, magnetics, multibeam sonar, sub-bottom profiler, and seafloor samples collected between December 2006 and late 2007. These datasets are designed to define the region's petroleum prospectivity and inform marine environmental planning.

Use Cases

• Modeling rift basin architecture and tectonostratigraphic history based on interpreted seismic phases and sediment fill.
• Delineating depocentre boundaries for petroleum exploration based on gravity and magnetic coverage.
• Identifying potential fluid escape sites and active petroleum systems based on seafloor sampling and camera footage.
• Documenting marine biodiversity and habitats based on biological samples from the sea floor.

Strengths

• Includes approximately 6000 km of industry-standard 2D seismic data acquired with an 8 km solid streamer.
• Surveys identified depocentres up to 150 km in length and 40 km in width with up to 7 km of sediment fill.
• Integrates multiple data types: seismic, gravity, magnetics, multibeam sonar, sub-bottom profiler, and physical samples.

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 bias inherent to the specific offshore frontier region surveyed.

Provenance

Source

Australian Ocean Data Network

Collection Method

Acquired via marine surveys using seismic streamer, multibeam sonar, gravity and magnetic instruments, and seafloor sampling.

Time Range

December 2006 to late 2007

Freshness

Last updated 2026-04-28 13:32:57.198334; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Capel and Faust basins, located approximately 800 km east of Brisbane in water depths of 1300-2500m.