Marine Geology of the Northwest Australian Continental Shelf, 1967-1968

A geological reconnaissance of the northwest Australian continental shelf conducted by the Bureau of Mineral Resources during two cruises in late 1967 and 1968. The survey covers a 1200 km region from Barrow Island to beyond Scott Reef, describing shelf and upper slope sediments and mapping their distribution. The compilation incorporates shallow seismic profiles, echograms, hydrographic soundings, and sea-bed sediment notations from charts.

Use Cases

• Map sediment distribution patterns based on sea-bed sediment notations and survey data.
• Analyze the late Cainozoic geological history of the continental margin based on surface morphology and shallow structures.
• Study the offshore structural framework and Phanerozoic sedimentation based on petroleum exploration work.
• Assess the potential for phosphate deposits based on ocean water chemistry and sediment phosphorus content.

Strengths

• Survey covers a 1200 km region of the continental shelf.
• Integrates data from multiple sources including seismic profiles, echograms, and hydrographic charts.
• Focuses on describing sediments and mapping their distribution as a primary objective.

Limitations

• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• The description of offshore structure and sedimentation does not include results obtained after 1971.

Provenance

Source

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

Collection Method

Geological reconnaissance via ship cruises, supplemented by shallow seismic reflection profiles, echograms, hydrographic soundings, and chart notations.

Time Range

Survey cruises occurred in late 1967 and late 1968; compilation uses data up to 1971.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-06-16 22:06:41.893165; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Northwest Australian continental shelf, from Barrow Island to beyond Scott Reef (1200 km).