Rig Seismic Survey 112: Marine Geochemistry and Pollution Monitoring Offshore Sydney

A 1991 pilot survey by the Australian Geological Survey Organisation and the Sydney Water Board tested light hydrocarbons as tracers for ocean outfall plumes. This led to the expanded twelve-day Survey 112 aboard the RV Rig Seismic, focusing on sedimentology, geochemistry, and tracer studies of the continental shelf. The dataset likely contains measurements from this joint environmental monitoring program.

Use Cases

• Mapping contaminant accumulation in sediments based on the described focus on metals and organic toxicants.
• Modeling nutrient cycling (nitrogen, phosphorus) based on the geochemical characterization of shelf sediments.
• Tracing sewage effluent plumes using light hydrocarbon data mentioned as a primary survey objective.
• Assessing baseline environmental conditions for coastal management strategies described in the program's goals.

Strengths

• Data originates from a defined twelve-day research survey aboard the RV Rig Seismic.
• Joint program combines expertise from a national geological survey and a regional water authority.
• Focuses on three specific issues: sedimentology, geochemical characterization, and tracer studies.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Last updated 2026-04-30 13:36:58.899260; freshness should be verified.

Provenance

Source

Geoscience Australia Data

Collection Method

Data collected during a twelve-day marine survey aboard the research vessel Rig Seismic.

Time Range

Following a 1991 pilot survey; specific dates for Survey 112 are not provided.

Geography

Continental shelf offshore Sydney, Australia.