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

Geoscience Australia acquired and analyzed geological data for the Capel and Faust basins under government programs from 2003 to 2011. The dataset includes high-quality 2D seismic data, multibeam bathymetry, gravity and magnetic data, and rock dredge samples from water depths of 1300-2500 meters. It was used for a geological and petroleum prospectivity assessment, with findings presented at the Australian Earth Sciences Convention in July 2010.

Use Cases

• Model basin evolution based on described syn-rift and post-rift megasequences.
• Assess petroleum prospectivity using interpreted seismic data and depocentre definitions.
• Correlate geological features with gravity and magnetic data mentioned in the description.
• Study Late Cretaceous to Recent marine sedimentation patterns in the described succession.

Strengths

• Includes high-quality 2D seismic data, high-resolution multibeam bathymetry, gravity, magnetic data, and rock dredge samples.
• Data collection occurred under structured government programs (New Petroleum 2003-2007, Offshore Energy Security 2007-2011).
• Interpretation improved definition of depocentres, with the largest described as approximately 150 km long and 40 km wide.
• Basin fill is described with a maximum total thickness of over 6 km and a detailed stratigraphic framework.

Limitations

• Description metadata is limited; actual data quality requires manual inspection after download.
• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.

Provenance

Source

Geoscience Australia / Australian Ocean Data Network

Collection Method

Acquired via geological surveys including seismic data, bathymetry, potential field data, and rock dredge samples.

Time Range

Primary data collection from 2003 to 2011; basin stratigraphy ranges from possibly Mesozoic to Recent.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-06-23 04:10:09.122358; 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.