1961 Marine Seismic Survey of the Carnarvon Basin, Western Australia

A 1961 marine reflection seismic survey covered 753 miles of traverse in the Carnarvon Basin, Western Australia, including Exmouth Gulf and coastal waters from Frazer Island to Bernier Island. Conducted by Seismograph Service Limited for West Australian Petroleum Pty Limited, the survey aimed to map regional geology and pre-Cretaceous fault structures. The operation was subsidized under the Petroleum Search Subsidy Act 1959.

Use Cases

• Mapping subsurface geological structures based on seismic reflection data.
• Analyzing pre-Cretaceous to post-Palaeozoic fault trends mentioned in the survey results.
• Correlating offshore seismic data with known onshore anticlines like the Cape Range Anticline.
• Studying the synclinal character of Cretaceous and Tertiary sediments in Exmouth Gulf.

Strengths

• Survey details are precisely documented, including a total of 753 miles of traverse shot.
• Specific temporal coverage is provided: the survey ran from July 15 to August 20, 1961.
• The geophysical operation and navigational methods (Lorac, sextant) are described.

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 temporal bias inherent to a 1961 survey; modern techniques may yield different results.

Provenance

Source

Australian Ocean Data Network

Collection Method

A two-boat marine reflection seismic survey using magnetic tape recording.

Time Range

1961-07-15 to 1961-08-20

Freshness

Last updated 2026-04-16 09:38:58.714892; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Carnarvon Basin, Western Australia, including Exmouth Gulf and coastal waters from Frazer Island to Bernier Island.