Igneous and Sedimentary Rocks Dredged from the Northern Macquarie Ridge

Australian Ocean Data Network provides a geological note on rock samples dredged from the northern Macquarie Ridge in the Southern Ocean. The dataset likely contains information on altered basalt, dolerite, gabbro, and sedimentary rocks collected from a previously unsampled area between 47°-48° S. The data was last updated on 2026-05-05.

Use Cases

• Analyze the petrological affinity of dredged rocks based on descriptions of MORB-like volcanic and plutonic suites.
• Study the geological relationship between the northern ridge and the continental shelf based on the note linking Puysegur Bank to the rest of the ridge.
• Investigate sediment provenance based on the description of rocks derived from both oceanic ridge and continental sources.
• Exclude evidence of subduction-related magmatism based on the stated absence of such evidence along the ridge.

Strengths

• Focuses on a previously unsampled portion of the Macquarie Ridge, providing new geological data.
• Includes petrographic and geochemical comparisons to suites collected along other parts of the ridge.
• Provides a geological interpretation linking bathymetric features to tectonic relationships.

Limitations

• Description metadata is limited; actual data quality requires manual inspection after download.
• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.

Provenance

Source

Australian Ocean Data Network

Collection Method

Dredging operations using the commercial fishing vessel Amaltal Explorer.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-05-05 01:52:48.342149; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Northern Macquarie Ridge, Southern Ocean, between 47°-48° S.