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

High-quality 2D seismic data, multibeam bathymetry, gravity, magnetic data, and rock samples were acquired by Geoscience Australia between 2003 and 2011 for the Capel and Faust basins. The data analysis suggests basin fill attains a maximum total thickness of over 6 km and consists of syn-rift and sag megasequences. This geological assessment was presented at the Australian Earth Sciences Convention in July 2010.

Use Cases

• Modeling basin evolution based on interpreted syn-rift and sag megasequences.
• Assessing petroleum prospectivity based on seismic data suggesting coaly, lacustrine, and deltaic sandstone deposits.
• Mapping depocentre geometry based on seismic and gravity data indicating structures approximately 150 km long and 40 km wide.

Strengths

• Data includes high-quality 2D seismic data, high-resolution multibeam bathymetry, gravity and magnetic data, and rock dredge samples.
• Analysis defines depocentres up to approximately 150 km long and 40 km wide and suggests basin fill over 6 km thick.
• Represents a significant update over prior data limited to regional profiles from the 1970s-1990s and one DSDP drill hole.

Limitations

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

Provenance

Source

Geoscience Australia under Australian Government programs.

Collection Method

Acquired via marine surveys including seismic data, multibeam bathymetry, gravity, magnetic data, and rock dredge sampling.

Time Range

Data acquisition primarily 2003-2011; analysis presented in 2010.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-06-04 05:35:12.992573; 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.