Quaternary Sediment Cores from the Southern Fairway Basin, Tasman Sea

In 1999, 13 piston cores were collected by the RV L'Atalante from the Southern Fairway Basin on the Lord Howe Rise. The cores, ranging from 1250 to 2753 meters deep and 405 to 758 cm long, contain nannofossil ooze and document sediment, pore water, and gas composition. The data was gathered as part of the ZoNiCo 5 survey for the New Caledonian government to assess gas and petroleum potential.

Use Cases

• Modeling gas hydrate distribution based on bottom-simulating reflector (BSR) and methane detection data.
• Analyzing sediment geochemistry based on color profiles, magnetic susceptibility, and pore water sulfate variations.
• Investigating redox front processes and anaerobic methane oxidation in shallow marine sediments.
• Assessing thermogenic hydrocarbon potential based on the presence of ethane, propane, and higher hydrocarbons.

Strengths

• 13 physical sediment cores provide direct geological samples.
• Cores cover a depth range from 1250 to 2753 meters below sea level.
• Multiple analytical parameters are described, including sediment color, magnetic susceptibility, and pore water chemistry.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• The description notes longer cores with less-oxidised sediment and additional analyses are needed for full understanding.

Provenance

Source

Geoscience Australia Data

Collection Method

13 piston cores collected by the RV L'Atalante during the ZoNiCo 5 survey.

Time Range

Cores collected in 1999; sediment estimated to be less than 800,000 years old.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-25 16:12:36.655758; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Southern Fairway Basin on the Lord Howe Rise, Tasman Sea.