BMR Cruise 106: Seabed Morphology and Offshore Resources Around Christmas Island

A 28-day research cruise from January 7 to February 4, 1992, collected geoscience data around Christmas Island in the Indian Ocean. The project, conducted by the Australian Ocean Data Network, aimed to assess seabed morphology, sediment thickness, and offshore mineral resources. It planned to acquire about 2500 km of high-resolution reflection seismic and bathymetric data.

Use Cases

• Map seabed morphology based on high-resolution bathymetric and seismic data.
• Assess manganese nodule abundance and metal grades for economic potential.
• Model sediment thickness and facies for geological understanding of the offshore zone.
• Support seabed boundary negotiations with Indonesia based on resource and morphology data.

Strengths

• Planned acquisition of about 2500 km of high-resolution geophysical data.
• Focus on a specific, geopolitically relevant area: the Christmas Island offshore zone.
• Targets multiple resource types: manganese nodules, crusts, and sediment composition.

Limitations

• Data file formats are PDF and HTML, suggesting the primary data may be in report form rather than raw, machine-readable formats.
• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.

Provenance

Source

Australian Ocean Data Network

Collection Method

Data was gathered during a 28-day geoscience cruise of R.V. 'Rig Seismic' using seismic and bathymetric equipment and sampling campaigns.

Time Range

1992-01-07 to 1992-02-04

Freshness

Last updated 2026-06-04 05:58:35.691281; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Offshore zone around Christmas Island, Indian Ocean, at approximately 10°30'S and 105°40'E.