Magnetite Beach Sands of Bougainville Island, Papua New Guinea

Magnetite with combined titanium dioxide is the predominant heavy mineral in the beach sands of Bougainville Island. The sand is derived from unconsolidated pyroclastic and alluvial aprons of recent-active andesitic volcanoes, including Mt. Balbi, Mt. Bagana, and Mt. Taroka. The dataset is hosted by the Australian Ocean Data Network and was last updated on June 4, 2026.

Use Cases

• Assess the economic potential of magnetite sand deposits based on concentration levels described.
• Model sediment provenance and transport based on described volcanic sources.
• Plan magnetic survey campaigns based on suggested methods for delineating magnetite zones.
• Compare mineral composition between eastern and western coastal plains of the island.

Strengths

• Description provides specific geological context, naming key volcanic sources (Mt. Balbi, Mt. Bagana, Mt. Taroka).
• Distinguishes between high-concentration eastern coast deposits and potentially economic western coastal plain areas.
• Last updated date is explicitly provided: 2026-06-04.

Limitations

• Row count and data scale are unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Data may reflect geographic bias inherent to the specific island study area.

Provenance

Source

Australian Ocean Data Network

Collection Method

Likely contains geological survey and analysis results.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-06-04 08:21:47.496156; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Bougainville Island, Territory of Papua and New Guinea