Levelled Marine Geophysical Line Data for Australia

1970s onward ship-track data compiles gravity, magnetic, and bathymetry measurements from surveys across the Australian region. The compilation consists of time-indexed ASCII files organized by survey, with records spaced approximately every 150 meters. Data was levelled by Desmond FitzGerald & Associates and Ron Hackney between 1998-2011, with final review by Yvette Poudjom Djomani prior to release.

Use Cases

• Create continuous gravity anomaly maps from levelled gravity data across survey boundaries.
• Analyze magnetic field variations using levelled magnetic data to map subsurface geological features.
• Model seafloor topography by gridding the levelled bathymetry data from multiple survey vintages.
• Integrate geographic coordinates with unlevelled source data to assess original survey data quality.
• Study temporal changes in marine geophysical properties using the time-indexed survey files.

Strengths

• Data spans from the 1970s to the present, providing a multi-decade record.
• Levelling process reduces mis-ties between intersecting surveys of various vintages.
• Includes both unlevelled source data and levelled data for comparison within each survey file.

Limitations

• Sample size and total row count are unknown.
• The compilation excludes shot-indexed data from seismic reflection surveys.
• Specific geographic bounds for the 'Australian region' are not detailed.

Provenance

Source

Geoscience Australia marine geophysical survey database 'Mardat' and surveys from other institutions.

Collection Method

Levelled compilation of ship-track line data from marine geophysical surveys.

Time Range

1970s onward

Freshness

Data was last updated on 2026-04-04, indicating recent review.

Geography

Australian region