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

Christmas Island is moving north at 7cm/year and being raised as it climbs the bulge on the southern flank of the Java Trench. This dataset likely contains results from a 28-day geoscience cruise in 1992, aiming to assess seabed morphology, sediment thickness, and offshore mineral resources around the island. The project was conducted by the BMR (Bureau of Mineral Resources) and information was intended for use by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade in seabed boundary negotiations.

Use Cases

• Mapping seabed morphology and sediment thickness based on high-resolution reflection seismic and bathymetric data.
• Assessing manganese nodule abundance and metal grade (Cu, Ni, Co) on the deep-sea floor.
• Evaluating manganese crust thickness and metal grade on volcanic ridges.
• Supporting maritime boundary negotiations by providing geological data for an Exclusive Economic Zone.

Strengths

• Data collection involved about 2500 km of high-resolution reflection seismic and bathymetric surveys.
• Reconnaissance sampling provided initial insights into manganese nodule grades and abundance.
• Project context includes specific geological details like sediment thickness (100-300m) and crustal movement (7cm/year).

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Data is from a specific cruise in 1992; freshness should be verified for contemporary applications.

Provenance

Source

Geoscience Australia Data

Collection Method

28-day geoscience cruise of R.V. 'Rig Seismic' acquiring seismic, bathymetric, and sample data.

Time Range

Cruise from 7 January to 4 February, 1992.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-04-30 15:28:07.345489; freshness should be verified

Geography

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