AGSO Survey 112: Hydrocarbon and Water Quality Data Off Sydney Coast

500 line-kilometers of continuous geochemical tracer data were collected in September/October 1992. The dataset includes light hydrocarbon measurements in seawater complemented with temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen, and pH, collected near Sydney's deepwater ocean outfalls. The survey was conducted by AGSO and the Sydney Water Board to characterize pollutant sources.

Use Cases

• Characterizing pollutant sources based on molecular compositions of hydrocarbon mixtures mentioned in the description.
• Establishing environmental baselines for contaminants like heavy metals and organochlorines in sediments.
• Analyzing coastal water quality based on hydrographic data (temperature, salinity, oxygen, pH).
• Mapping hydrocarbon anomalies from specific outfall locations to trace anthropogenic inputs.

Strengths

• 500 line-kilometers of continuous geochemical tracer data provides a substantial spatial profile.
• Data collection was complemented by concurrent seafloor sampling for sediment contaminants and sedimentology.
• The survey combined scientific staff from multiple agencies (AGSO and Sydney Water Board), suggesting a collaborative effort.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Data may reflect geographic bias inherent to data_gov_au, focused solely on the Sydney coastal region.

Provenance

Source

Australian Ocean Data Network

Collection Method

Marine survey conducted using Rig Seismic vessel with continuous geochemical tracer equipment.

Time Range

September/October 1992

Freshness

Last updated 2026-05-05 01:10:44.444200; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Coastal waters off Sydney, between Botany Bay and North Head, and regionally between Newcastle and Wollongong.