AUSTREA-2: Seafloor Mapping Survey of South-east Tasmania and Macquarie Ridge

South-east of Tasmania and the southern Macquarie Ridge were surveyed in January and February 2000 by the Australian Geological Survey Organisation. The AUSTREA-2 cruise mapped approximately 140,000 km² of seabed over 10,200 km, collecting swath bathymetry, backscatter, seismic, and oceanographic data. The work was conducted to support the definition of Australia's legal Continental Shelf and marine zone planning.

Use Cases

• Delineating the foot-of-slope for continental shelf claims based on high-resolution bathymetric data.
• Analyzing seabed living and non-living resources based on geophysical and oceanographic profiles.
• Studying tectonic features like the Hjort Trench and slope canyons based on swath mapping and seismic data.
• Supporting marine spatial planning and management based on integrated seabed and water column data.

Strengths

• Covers a large, specific area of approximately 140,000 km² of seabed.
• Data quality was described as 'generally excellent' with highly favourable weather conditions during acquisition.
• Includes a multi-faceted suite of geophysical and oceanographic data types (e.g., bathymetry, backscatter, seismic, salinity profiles).

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Data is from a single survey in early 2000; temporal coverage is limited.
• Row count and specific data structure are unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.

Provenance

Source

Australian Geological Survey Organisation (AGSO), now Geoscience Australia, and the National Oceans Office.

Collection Method

Ship-based survey using the N/O L'Atalante vessel, employing Simrad EM12D swath systems, GI-gun seismic, and oceanographic profilers.

Time Range

January to February 2000.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-25 17:35:09.209309; freshness should be verified.

Geography

South and south-east Tasmania, south of Macquarie Island, and the southern Macquarie Ridge Complex.