Rift Evolution in the Capel and Faust Basins, Offshore Eastern Australia, and Implications

Geoscience Australia acquired high-quality 2D seismic, multibeam bathymetry, gravity, magnetic, and rock dredge data under government programs from 2003 to 2011. The analysis improved definition of depocentres up to 150 km long and identified basin fill with a maximum thickness over 6 km, consisting of syn-rift and sag megasequences. This geological synthesis was presented at the Australian Earth Sciences Convention in July 2010.

Use Cases

• Model basin evolution and rift history based on interpreted syn-rift and sag megasequences.
• Assess regional petroleum prospectivity based on seismic data suggesting deltaic and shoreline sandstones.
• Analyze sediment deposition environments based on descriptions of marine, lacustrine, and volcaniclastic sequences.
• Map depocentre geometry and thickness based on seismic interpretation of structures up to 150 km long and 40 km wide.

Strengths

• Includes high-quality 2D seismic, multibeam bathymetry, gravity, magnetic, and rock dredge data acquired under government programs.
• Analysis defines depocentres approximately 150 km long and 40 km wide, with basin fill exceeding 6 km in thickness.
• Data collection represents a significant upgrade over prior regional profiles from the 1970s-1990s.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Freshness should be verified; the core analysis was presented in 2010.

Provenance

Source

Geoscience Australia, Australian Ocean Data Network

Collection Method

Acquired via geological surveys including seismic, bathymetry, potential field, and rock sampling under the New Petroleum (2003-2007) and Offshore Energy Security (2007-2011) programs.

Time Range

Data acquisition primarily 2003-2011; analysis presented in 2010. Basins contain sequences from Early Cretaceous to Recent.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-06-27 21:28:10.900023; freshness should be verified

Geography

Capel and Faust basins on the northern Lord Howe Rise, offshore eastern Australia, in water depths of 1300-2500 m.