Northwest Australian Continental Shelf Marine Geology Survey, 1967-1968

Two 3-month cruises in late 1967 and 1968 by the Bureau of Mineral Resources conducted a geological reconnaissance of the northwest Australian continental shelf. The survey covered a 1200 km region from Barrow Island to beyond Scott Reef, integrating seismic profiles, echograms, hydrographic soundings, and sea-bed sediment charts. Results were compiled into a bulletin, with structural and sedimentation analysis based on petroleum exploration work up to 1971.

Use Cases

• Map sediment distribution on the continental shelf and upper slope based on the survey's core objective.
• Study late Cainozoic geological history based on surface morphology and shallow structure analysis mentioned.
• Analyze the offshore structural framework and Phanerozoic sedimentation based on subsidized petroleum exploration data.
• Investigate potential for phosphate deposits based on ocean water chemistry and circulation pattern data referenced.

Strengths

• Survey covers a 1200 km region from Barrow Island to beyond Scott Reef.
• Integrates data from multiple sources: BMR cruises, seismic profiles, hydrographic soundings, and petroleum exploration work.
• Focuses on a specific geological objective: describing sediments and mapping their distribution.

Limitations

• Structural and sedimentation analysis does not include results obtained after 1971.
• Data is presented in PDF/HTML formats; column-level documentation and sample data are unavailable.
• Row count and dataset scale are unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.

Provenance

Source

Bureau of Mineral Resources (BMR), Australian Ocean Data Network

Collection Method

Marine geological reconnaissance during two cruises, supplemented by seismic profiles, echograms, hydrographic soundings, and chart notations.

Time Range

Survey conducted in 1967 and 1968; analysis includes data up to 1971.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-04-10 22:19:48.463512; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Northwest Australian continental shelf, from Barrow Island to beyond Scott Reef (Rowley Shelf and southern Sahul Shelf).