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

Geoscience Australia acquired high-quality 2D seismic data, multibeam bathymetry, gravity, magnetic data, and rock dredge samples from the Capel and Faust basins between 2003 and 2011. The data reveal depocentres up to 150 km long and 40 km wide, with basin fill reaching over 6 km thickness. This geological and petroleum prospectivity assessment was presented at the Australian Earth Sciences Convention in July 2010.

Use Cases

• Modeling basin evolution and rift history based on interpreted syn-rift and sag megasequences.
• Assessing regional petroleum prospectivity based on seismic data suggesting deltaic and shoreline sandstones.
• Mapping subsurface structures and depocentres using high-resolution 2D seismic and potential field data.
• Analyzing sediment composition and depositional environments from described volcaniclastic, coaly, lacustrine, and marine sequences.

Strengths

• Data collection includes multiple high-quality geophysical and geological data types: 2D seismic, multibeam bathymetry, gravity, magnetic, and rock samples.
• Interpretation defines specific basin dimensions, with the largest depocentres approximately 150 km long and 40 km wide, and a maximum basin fill thickness over 6 km.
• Represents a significant upgrade from prior limited regional data collected during the 1970s to 1990s.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Data files are in PDF and HTML formats, which may require extraction or conversion for computational analysis.

Provenance

Source

Geoscience Australia Data

Collection Method

Acquired under Australian Government programs (New Petroleum 2003-2007, Offshore Energy Security 2007-2011) and analyzed for geological assessment.

Time Range

Primary data acquisition between 2003 and 2011; study presented in 2010.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-04-20 00:49:33.891836; 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.