Multibeam Sonar Survey of Tasmanian Continental Margin

A 1994 marine survey proposal details a 35-day cruise using the R.V. L'Atalante's SIMRAD EM12D multibeam sonar system. The Australian Geological Survey Organisation planned to map 200,000 square kilometers of the continental margin off Tasmania and the adjacent abyssal plain. The cruise aimed to collect bathymetric maps, acoustic imagery, seismic reflection, magnetic, and gravity profiles.

Use Cases

• Analyzing bathymetric maps and acoustic imagery to define fault patterns and structural geometry on the continental margin.
• Correlating magnetic and gravity profiles with seismic reflection data to map deep geological structures.
• Using swath-mapping imagery to identify trends in oceanic crust fracture zones related to the Australia-Antarctica breakup.
• Mapping large-scale sedimentary structures from sonar data to elucidate Tertiary sedimentary history.

Strengths

• High-resolution mapping capability covering a swath up to 20 km wide at 10 knots.
• Multifaceted data collection includes bathymetry, seismic, magnetic, and gravity profiles.
• Survey area of 200,000 square kilometers, approximately three times the size of Tasmania.

Limitations

• Data is from a single 35-day cruise in early 1994, offering only a temporal snapshot.
• Specific row counts, file sizes, and data formats for the actual collected measurements are unknown.
• The description is a proposal; the completeness and availability of the executed dataset are unclear.

Provenance

Source

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

Collection Method

Planned collection using the SIMRAD EM12D multibeam sonar system aboard the French research vessel L'Atalante.

Time Range

Proposed cruise from 16 January to 27 February 1994.

Freshness

null

Geography

Southern Otway Basin, Sorell Basin, South Tasman Rise, and adjacent abyssal plain off Tasmania, from Wellington to Adelaide.