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

A 28-day research cruise from 7 January to 4 February, 1992, conducted by the Bureau of Mineral Resources (BMR) aboard the R.V. 'Rig Seismic'. The project aimed to assess seabed morphology, sediment thickness, and offshore mineral resources around Christmas Island in the Indian Ocean, collecting about 2500 km of high-resolution seismic and bathymetric data. The resulting review was intended to inform negotiations for a seabed boundary with Indonesia.

Use Cases

• Map seabed morphology and sediment thickness based on high-resolution reflection seismic and bathymetric data.
• Assess manganese nodule abundance and metal grades (Cu, Ni, Co) on the deep-sea floor.
• Evaluate manganese crust thickness and metal grades on volcanic ridges.
• Model sediment facies distribution, including pelagic ooze, marl, and volcanic ash components.

Strengths

• Specific temporal coverage for the primary data collection cruise: 7 January to 4 February, 1992.
• Planned acquisition of about 2500 km of high-resolution geophysical data.
• Description includes concrete geological context: sediment thickness (100-300m), water depths (1200-6000m), and nodule grade references (2.55% Cu+Ni+Co).

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Data files are in PDF and HTML formats, which may require extraction for computational analysis.

Provenance

Source

Geoscience Australia Data

Collection Method

Data collected during a dedicated geoscience cruise using high-resolution reflection seismic, bathymetric profiling, and sampling campaigns.

Time Range

Primary data collection: 1992-01-07 to 1992-02-04

Freshness

Last updated 2026-05-14 09:26:22.739857; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Christmas Island offshore zone, Indian Ocean (approximately 10°30'S, 105°40'E).