BMR Cruise 106: Seabed and Mineral Resource Data Around Christmas Island, 1992

Christmas Island, an Australian territory moving north at 7cm/year, sits on oceanic crust 5000-6000 meters deep. The Bureau of Mineral Resources (BMR) conducted a 28-day research cruise in 1992 to assess seabed morphology, sediment thickness, and offshore mineral resources like manganese nodules and crusts. This data was intended to inform seabed boundary negotiations with Indonesia.

Use Cases

• Mapping seabed morphology and sediment thickness based on high-resolution reflection seismic and bathymetric data.
• Assessing manganese nodule abundance and metal grades (Cu, Ni, Co) on the deep-sea floor.
• Evaluating manganese crust thickness and metal grades on volcanic ridges.
• Modeling regional geology and sediment facies for the Christmas Island offshore zone.

Strengths

• Data collection involved a dedicated 28-day geoscience cruise with planned acquisition of about 2500 km of high-resolution seismic and bathymetric data.
• Description provides specific geological context, including sediment thickness (100-300m), water depths, and nodule metal grade comparisons from a similar region.
• Project had a clear, stated aim to produce a comprehensive review for government use in boundary negotiations.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count and dataset size are unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Data may reflect geographic and temporal bias inherent to the 1992 survey and the specific project scope.

Provenance

Source

Australian Ocean Data Network, likely originating from the Bureau of Mineral Resources (BMR).

Collection Method

Data gathered during the R.V. 'Rig Seismic' research cruise from 7 January to 4 February, 1992, using seismic and bathymetric equipment and sampling campaigns.

Time Range

Primary data collection occurred in January-February 1992.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-04-10 16:58:01.075722; freshness should be verified.

Geography

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