Gulf of Papua Crustal Structure from Seismic Refraction Data

Interpretation of seismic refraction data from the southwestern coast of the Papuan Peninsula and the northwest Coral Sea. The dataset includes sediment thickness, P-wave velocities, and Moho depth, published by the Australian Ocean Data Network and last updated in April 2026. Results support tectonic models for the region's formation.

Use Cases

• Modeling sediment thickness distribution based on measurements ranging from 1 to 10 km
• Analyzing crustal composition based on P-wave velocity layers of 6.07 km/s and 6.9 km/s
• Mapping Moho depth variations based on reported depths from 19 to 29 km
• Testing tectonic models for the Coral Sea Basin based on inferred continental and oceanic crust boundaries

Strengths

• Includes specific quantitative measurements, such as sediment thickness of 5 km over the Papuan Plateau
• Reports depth to Moho with a defined range of 27 to 29 km along the southwestern coast
• Results are based on several inversion techniques, as stated in the description

Limitations

• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment
• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download
• Description notes insufficient data to confirm velocity intervals offshore

Provenance

Source

Australian Ocean Data Network

Collection Method

Interpretation of seismic refraction data using several inversion techniques.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-04-16 10:06:08.741403; freshness should be verified

Geography

Gulf of Papua and northwest Coral Sea, including the Papuan Peninsula, Papuan Plateau, Moresby Trough, Aure Trough, and Eastern Plateau.