In March and April 2012, Geoscience Australia acquired seabed data to assess CO2 storage potential in the Vlaming Sub-Basin, Western Australia. The survey collected 89 seabed grab samples from 43 stations, 653 km² of multibeam and backscatter data, and 6.65 km² of side-scan sonar imagery. Chirper shallow sub-bottom profile data was also acquired concurrently.
Use Cases
- Assessing seal integrity for geological CO2 storage based on seabed and deep geological feature connectivity.
- Mapping seabed geomorphology and structural discontinuities based on multibeam, backscatter, and side-scan sonar data.
- Analyzing coralline red algal (rhodolith) bed distributions based on survey data from Area 2 southwest of Rottnest Island.
- Investigating potential fluid seepage pathways based on correlations between seabed ridges, mounds, and basin geology.
Strengths
- Survey includes 89 seabed grab samples from 43 stations, providing direct physical samples.
- Data coverage includes 653 km² of multibeam and backscatter data and 6.65 km² of side-scan sonar imagery.
- Survey targeted specific geological formations (South Perth Shale seal and Gage Sandstone reservoir) for CO2 storage assessment.
Limitations
- Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
- Data formats are PDF and HTML, which may require extraction or conversion for quantitative analysis.
- The precise relationship between seabed features, fluid seepage, and basin geology is noted as uncertain.
Provenance
- Source
- Australian Ocean Data Network
- Collection Method
- Marine environmental survey using seabed sampling, multibeam sonar, backscatter, chirper sub-bottom profiling, and side-scan sonar.
- Time Range
- March-April 2012
- Freshness
- Last updated 2026-05-05 04:34:08.570375; freshness should be verified.
- Geography
- Vlaming Sub-Basin, Western Australia, specifically two areas on the Rottnest Shelf.