Seismic and Bathymetric Survey of Capel and Faust Basins

Geoscience Australia acquired high-quality 2D seismic data, multibeam bathymetry, gravity, magnetic data, and rock dredge samples from the Capel and Faust basins under government programs from 2003 to 2011. The analysis improved the definition of depocentres, with the largest being approximately 150 km long and 40 km wide, and identified basin fill with a maximum thickness over 6 km. This geological and petroleum prospectivity assessment was presented at the Australian Earth Sciences Convention in July 2010.

Use Cases

• Map depocentre geometry and basin structure using interpreted 2D seismic profiles and bathymetric data.
• Model petroleum systems by analyzing the thickness and composition of syn-rift and post-rift megasequence packages.
• Correlate regional stratigraphy by integrating rock dredge sample data with seismic facies interpretations.
• Assess sediment source and depositional environments from features like deltaic sandstones, coaly sediments, and volcaniclastic units.

Strengths

• Integrates multiple high-quality data types including 2D seismic, multibeam bathymetry, gravity, magnetic, and physical rock samples.
• Defines specific basin dimensions, with the largest depocentre approximately 150 km long and 40 km wide.
• Provides a detailed stratigraphic framework dividing basin fill into three megasequences with a maximum thickness over 6 km.

Limitations

• Limited spatial coverage focused on the Capel and Faust basins, with regional context relying on older 1970s-1990s data.
• Lacks well data (only one historical DSDP drill hole mentioned), limiting direct calibration of seismic interpretations.
• Primary data formats (PDF, HTML) are presentation and report-based, not raw structured data files.

Provenance

Source

Australian Ocean Data Network, originating from Geoscience Australia.

Collection Method

Data acquired via marine surveys under the New Petroleum (2003-2007) and Offshore Energy Security (2007-2011) programs, followed by geological synthesis.

Time Range

Survey data collected between 2003 and 2011; study interprets geological history from Cretaceous to Recent.

Freshness

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Geography

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