Swath-Mapping Cruise Data for Southern Australian Continental Margin, 1994

35 days of multibeam sonar mapping in early 1994 covered 200,000 square kilometers of the continental margin off Tasmania and the adjacent abyssal plain. The Australian Geological Survey Organisation (AGSO) conducted the survey using the French research vessel L'Atalante, recording bathymetry, acoustic imagery, seismic reflection, magnetic, and gravity data. This mapping aimed to clarify the region's tectonic history related to the separation of Australia and Antarctica around 40 million years ago.

Use Cases

• Modeling tectonic fault geometry based on swath-mapping imagery of fault patterns on the continental margin.
• Analyzing sedimentary history based on large-scale sedimentary structures mapped by the survey.
• Investigating the breakup history of Australia and Antarctica based on fracture zone patterns in the abyssal plain.
• Supporting the definition of Australia's Legal Continental Shelf based on high-accuracy bathymetric maps.

Strengths

• Covers a large area of 200,000 square kilometers, approximately three times the size of Tasmania.
• Utilized a SIMRAD EM12D system providing real-time bathymetric maps and acoustic imagery with a 20 km swath width.
• Multimodal data collection includes 6-channel seismic reflection, magnetic, gravity, and bathymetric profiles.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Last updated 2026-06-04 06:20:59.556183; freshness should be verified as the underlying data is from 1994.

Provenance

Source

Australian Geological Survey Organisation (AGSO) via the Australian Ocean Data Network.

Collection Method

Marine survey using the multibeam sonar system of the R.V. L'Atalante.

Time Range

January 16 to February 27, 1994.

Freshness

Data collection occurred in early 1994; metadata was last updated in 2026.

Geography

Southern Otway Basin, Sorell Basin, South Tasman Rise, and adjacent abyssal plain off Tasmania, Australia.