1976 Gravity Map of Australia at 1:5,000,000 Scale

The 1976 1:5,000,000 Gravity Map of Australia was published by the Bureau of Mineral Resources (BMR). It was based on approximately 260,000 gravity observations from 300 surveys, costing about $12 million. The map and accompanying Bouguer and free-air anomaly maps were produced using CDC Cyber 76 computer processing and cartographic techniques.

Use Cases

• Modeling subsurface geological structures based on gravity anomaly data.
• Analyzing continental shelf and margin geology based on marine gravity coverage.
• Studying the historical development of geophysical survey techniques in Australia.
• Comparing Bouguer and free-air gravity anomalies for tectonic studies.
• Integrating gravity data with other geospatial datasets for resource exploration.

Strengths

• Based on approximately 260,000 gravity observations, providing a dense data foundation.
• Derived from systematic reconnaissance gravity coverage initiated in 1959, suggesting a long-term project.
• Includes data from marine coverage of the continental shelf and margins, expanding spatial scope.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Data freshness should be verified; the map is from 1976, though metadata was updated in 2026.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.

Provenance

Source

Australian Ocean Data Network

Collection Method

Compiled from gravity observations obtained by various organizations from 300 surveys.

Time Range

Surveys likely conducted between 1959 and 1976.

Geography

Australia, including continental shelf and margins.