Seabed Morphology and Mineral Resources Survey Around Christmas Island

A 1992 marine geoscience cruise collected 2500 km of high-resolution reflection seismic and bathymetric data to assess seabed morphology, sediment thickness, and offshore mineral resources around Christmas Island in the Indian Ocean. The project was conducted by Australia's Bureau of Mineral Resources (BMR) as part of its Offshore Sedimentary Basins Program. The data aimed to support the definition of a future Exclusive Economic Zone and seabed boundary negotiations.

Use Cases

• Mapping sediment thickness and facies using 2500 km of high-resolution reflection seismic data.
• Assessing manganese nodule abundance and metal grade (Cu, Ni, Co) on the deep-sea floor from sampling campaign data.
• Evaluating manganese crust thickness and metal grade on volcanic ridges from dredge and core samples.
• Defining seabed morphology and bathymetry for maritime zone boundary negotiations using bathymetric survey data.
• Analyzing sediment composition (e.g., pelagic ooze, volcanic ash) across different water depths from core samples.

Strengths

• 2500 km of high-resolution reflection seismic and bathymetric data acquired.
• Survey specifically targeted manganese nodule abundance and metal grades for economic assessment.
• 28-day dedicated geoscience cruise providing focused data collection.

Limitations

• Data is from a single cruise in 1992, making it temporally stale for current assessments.
• Sample data and specific column structures are unavailable, limiting direct analysis.
• Primary data formats are PDF and HTML reports, not raw, machine-readable data files.

Provenance

Source

Australian Ocean Data Network, originating from the Bureau of Mineral Resources (BMR) Offshore Sedimentary Basins Program.

Collection Method

Data gathered during a 28-day research cruise using high-resolution reflection seismic profiling, bathymetry, and sediment sampling.

Time Range

Survey conducted from 7 January to 4 February, 1992.

Freshness

Data collection occurred in January-February 1992; metadata was last updated in 2026.

Geography

Oceanic region around Christmas Island (approx. 10°30'S, 105°40'E) in the Indian Ocean.