Seabed Environments and Shallow Geology of the Vlaming Sub-Basin, Western Australia - Supp

Geoscience Australia acquired 653 km² of multibeam and backscatter data in 2012 to assess CO2 storage potential. The survey collected seabed samples from 43 stations and 6.65 km² of side-scan sonar imagery, focusing on the link between deep geological features and the seabed. Data reveals coralline red algal beds and fault-like structures in two areas on the Rottnest Shelf.

Use Cases

• Assess seal integrity for geological CO2 storage based on seabed and subsurface connectivity data.
• Map seabed geomorphology and structural lineaments based on multibeam and side-scan sonar imagery.
• Analyze coralline red algal (rhodolith) bed distributions and their relationship to underlying geology.
• Model potential fluid seepage pathways based on correlations between seabed features and subsurface faults.

Strengths

• Includes 653 km² of multibeam and backscatter data, providing broad spatial coverage.
• Based on seabed samples from 43 stations, including 89 grab samples.
• Integrates multiple data types: chirper sub-bottom profiles and 6.65 km² of side-scan sonar imagery.

Limitations

• Description metadata is limited; actual data quality requires manual inspection after download.
• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• The precise relationship between seabed features and subsurface geology is noted as uncertain, requiring further work.

Provenance

Source

Geoscience Australia, Australian Ocean Data Network

Collection Method

Marine environmental survey involving seabed sampling, multibeam sonar, backscatter, and chirper sub-bottom profiling.

Time Range

March-April 2012

Freshness

Last updated 2026-06-16 20:09:42.433777; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Vlaming Sub-basin, Western Australia, specifically two areas on the Rottnest Shelf.