Rig Seismic Survey 112: Coastal Water Geochemistry Off Sydney, 1992

Geoscience Australia conducted Rig Seismic Survey 112 in September/October 1992 off the coast of Sydney. The dataset includes approximately 500 line-km of water column data, such as light hydrocarbons, temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen, and pH, collected near deepwater ocean outfalls. It also contains seafloor sediment samples analyzed for nutrients, heavy metals, and organochlorines.

Use Cases

• Characterizing pollutant sources based on light hydrocarbon anomalies mentioned in the description.
• Establishing environmental baselines for contaminants like heavy metals and organochlorines in sediments.
• Analyzing relationships between hydrographic parameters (temperature, salinity) and hydrocarbon content in seawater.
• Comparing molecular compositions of hydrocarbon mixtures to identify different sources in the coastal zone.

Strengths

• Data collection covers approximately 500 line-km of continuous geochemical tracer (CGT) measurements.
• Survey combined scientific staff from AGSO and the Sydney Water Board, suggesting institutional collaboration.
• Dataset includes multiple data types: water column analyses and seafloor sediment samples.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Data is from a specific survey in 1992; freshness should be verified for contemporary applications.

Provenance

Source

Geoscience Australia Data

Collection Method

Marine survey conducted from the vessel Rig Seismic, involving continuous geochemical tracer equipment and seafloor sampling.

Time Range

September/October 1992

Freshness

Last updated 2026-05-14 03:58:14.649307; freshness should be verified

Geography

Coastal waters off Sydney, Australia, between Botany Bay and North Head, with regional context from Newcastle to Wollongong.