Marine Geology of the Capricorn Channel Area

Nine lithofacies categorize sediments from a study of the Capricorn and Curtis Channels, Hervey Bay, and the continental shelf off Fraser Island. The bulletin details seafloor morphology, including relict reefal banks, high-amplitude sand waves, and an ancient subaerial drainage system. It covers features from the Queensland mainland to the Tasman Basin, including the Swain Reefs and the Marion Plateau.

Use Cases

• Mapping seafloor sediment types based on the nine described lithofacies.
• Analyzing paleo-sea-level indicators from relict reefal banks and sand wave fields.
• Studying submarine geomorphology, including canyon systems and the Marion Plateau.
• Reconstructing ancient drainage patterns from the described subaerial system on the shelf.

Strengths

• Provides detailed geological descriptions of a specific, named region (Capricorn Channel, Hervey Bay, Fraser Island shelf).
• Analysis is structured around nine distinct sediment lithofacies.
• Dataset is hosted by the authoritative Australian Ocean Data Network.

Limitations

• No column names or row counts are provided, making the underlying data structure unknown.
• License, author, and exact data size are not specified in the available metadata.
• The dataset appears to be a textual bulletin; the availability of underlying raw data files is unclear.

Provenance

Source

Australian Ocean Data Network

Collection Method

Likely contains results from a marine geological survey and analysis, as described in a GA (Geoscience Australia) Publication bulletin.

Freshness

Last updated on data.gov.au: 2026-06-23.

Geography

Capricorn and Curtis Channels, Hervey Bay, continental shelf and slope off northern Fraser Island, Capricorn and Bunker Groups, southern Swain Reefs, Queensland, Australia.