In early 1994, the Australian Geological Survey Organisation conducted a 35-day cruise using the R.V. L'Atalante to map 200,000 square kilometers of the continental margin off Tasmania and the adjacent abyssal plain. The cruise collected multibeam sonar bathymetry, acoustic imagery, seismic reflection, magnetic, and gravity profiles. This survey aimed to clarify the region's structural pattern and tectonic history related to the separation of Australia and Antarctica.
Use Cases
- Analyze fault geometry and structural patterns based on high-resolution bathymetric maps and sonar images.
- Model the tectonic history of the Australia-Antarctica separation based on mapped fracture zone trends.
- Plan future seismic reflection surveys based on the detailed structural information of the continental margin.
- Investigate Tertiary sedimentary history based on mapped large-scale sedimentary structures.
- Define the Legal Continental Shelf boundary based on detailed morphology mapping.
Strengths
- Survey covered 200,000 square kilometers, an area three times that of Tasmania.
- Used a SIMRAD EM12D system capable of mapping a 20 km wide swath at 10 knots, providing high coverage rate.
- Integrated multiple data types: bathymetry, acoustic imagery, 6-channel seismic reflection, magnetic, and gravity profiles.
Limitations
- Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
- Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
- Last updated 2026-04-16 14:58:39.887573; freshness should be verified.
Provenance
- Source
- Australian Geological Survey Organisation (AGSO)
- Collection Method
- Data collected during a dedicated research cruise using the French vessel R.V. L'Atalante's multibeam sonar system.
- Time Range
- Cruise conducted from 16 January to 27 February 1994.
- Geography
- Southern Otway Basin, Sorell Basin, South Tasman Rise, and adjacent abyssal plain off Tasmania.