Seafloor Morphology and Tectonics of Christmas Island, Indian Ocean

Eight seismic profiles totalling about 2000 km, plus bathymetric data, were collected in February 1992 to assess seabed morphology and offshore mineral resources around Christmas Island. The Australian Ocean Data Network compiled a new 1:1,000,000 scale bathymetric map using this data and digital depths from the USA National Geophysical Data Bank. This map provides more detail on seamount distribution and the Java Trench structure than older 1970s-era maps.

Use Cases

• Analyze seabed morphology and sediment thickness based on seismic and bathymetric survey data.
• Map seamount distribution and tectonic features like the Java Trench based on high-resolution bathymetric data.
• Assess offshore mineral resources based on geological survey data collected for a Fisheries Zone declaration.
• Compare modern digital bathymetric data with older analog maps to identify new geological features.

Strengths

• Data includes eight seismic profiles totalling about 2000 km of survey lines.
• Bathymetric map compiled at a high-resolution 1:1,000,000 scale, providing more detail than older 1:5,000,000 maps.
• Integrates new high-quality survey data with digital water depths from the USA National Geophysical Data Bank.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Data may reflect geographic bias inherent to data_gov_au, focusing on a specific area around Christmas Island.

Provenance

Source

Australian Ocean Data Network

Collection Method

Seismic and bathymetric survey conducted by RAT 'Rig Seismic' in February 1992, combined with data from other institutions and the USA National Geophysical Data Bank.

Time Range

Survey data collected in 1992; map compilation likely occurred in the 1990s.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-05-05 02:32:26.147565; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Christmas Island area in the northern Wharton basin of the Indian Ocean.