Quaternary and Modern Environments of the Van Diemen Rise, Timor Sea

Australian Ocean Data Network provides environmental baseline data for the Van Diemen Rise on the Sahul Shelf. The dataset describes Quaternary evolution, modern geological processes, and sediment composition for petroleum exploration planning. It includes information on sea-level changes, sediment types, and coral reef growth.

Use Cases

• Modeling Quaternary sea-level changes and coastal exposure based on described glacial maximum events.
• Analyzing modern sediment distribution patterns based on described clastic and calcareous sand compositions.
• Assessing potential environmental impacts of seismic surveying and drilling based on the described localized disturbance.
• Mapping coral reef growth locations based on described shallow banks and shoals.

Strengths

• Provides specific geological timelines, such as sea level being ~120 m below present at about 18,000 BP.
• Describes detailed sediment types across different depths and locations, including foraminiferal calcarenites and silty clays.
• Identifies specific geographic features like the Van Diemen Rise and its sinuous channel-like features.

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 data_gov_au, focusing solely on the Van Diemen Rise.

Provenance

Source

Australian Ocean Data Network

Time Range

Quaternary period to present, with specific reference to ~18,000 BP.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-05-05 02:57:06.053138; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Van Diemen Rise on the Sahul Shelf in the eastern Timor Sea.