Cool-water Carbonate Sediment Data from Recherche Archipelago Shelf

Geoscience Australia research investigates high-energy cool-water carbonate lithofacies on the inner shelf of the Recherche Archipelago, south-western Australia. The study integrates surficial sediments, video, multibeam sonar, cores, and shallow seismic data to understand Quaternary shelf evolution. It identifies Holocene deposits up to 7 meters thick, dominated by calcareous algae, mollusc, and bryozoan fragments.

Use Cases

• Analyze multibeam sonar and seismic profile data to map the Pleistocene erosional surface and overlying gravel lag.
• Model sediment accumulation patterns using core data to assess the sheltering effect of granitic outcrops on Holocene deposits.
• Correlate video observations of seabed features with sediment composition data (e.g., rhodolith, bivalve, bryozoan fragments) to classify depositional environments.
• Investigate the relationship between terrigenous sediment dominance inshore and carbonate sediment production on the inner shelf using spatial data.

Strengths

• Integrates multiple complementary data types: surficial sediments, video, multibeam sonar, cores, and shallow seismics.
• Focuses on the world's largest modern example of a high-energy, cool-water carbonate depositional realm.
• Identifies specific sediment thickness, with Holocene deposits documented up to 7 meters thick.
• Examines a scientifically significant environment considered a useful modern analogue for geologically ancient deposits.

Limitations

• Sample data and structured column information are unavailable, limiting immediate analytical use.
• The dataset appears to be a published study summary rather than a structured, tabular dataset for direct computational analysis.
• Geographic focus is restricted to the Recherche Archipelago, limiting broader regional generalizations.

Provenance

Source

Geoscience Australia Data

Collection Method

Field collection of surficial sediments, video, multibeam sonar data, cores, and shallow seismics.

Time Range

Quaternary period, with focus on Holocene deposits.

Freshness

Last updated March 2026.

Geography

Recherche Archipelago inner shelf, south-western Australia, at the western margin of the Great Australian Bight.