Australian continental shelf data identifies submerged relict coastal features formed during periods of lower sea level over the last 128,000 years. The dataset maps palaeoshorelines at modal depths of 30–40 meters and 70–90 meters below present sea level, relating morphology to composition and oceanographic setting. It was published by researchers in the journal Continental Shelf Research in 2017.
Use Cases
- Model past sea-level positions based on mapped shoreline depths.
- Identify potential sand resource deposits based on relict coastal area locations.
- Target marine biodiversity surveys based on distinctive palaeoshoreline benthic habitats.
- Guide archaeological investigations for submerged sites of human occupation.
- Compare shelf morphology and feature preservation across carbonate versus siliciclastic compositions.
Strengths
- Based on a well-dated Late Quaternary sea-level record spanning 0–128 ka.
- Identifies specific modal sea-level depths (30–40 m and 70–90 m) with associated time periods.
- Links feature morphology to concrete variables like composition and oceanographic setting.
Limitations
- Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
- Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
- Data may reflect geographic bias inherent to the Australian continental shelf focus.
Provenance
- Source
- Australian Ocean Data Network
- Collection Method
- Analysis of sea-level records and geospatial mapping of shelf morphology.
- Time Range
- Late Quaternary, 0–128 thousand years ago.
- Freshness
- Last updated 2026-06-23 00:17:34.080684; freshness should be verified.
- Geography
- Australian continental shelf.