Crustal Structure of the Gulf of Papua and Northwest Coral Sea from Seismic Data

Interpretation of seismic refraction data from the southwestern coast of the Papuan Peninsula and the northwest Coral Sea provides insights into crustal composition and thickness. The dataset, sourced from the Australian Ocean Data Network, includes measurements of sediment thickness, P-wave velocities, and Moho depths across the region. It was last updated on 2026-06-27.

Use Cases

• Model tectonic evolution based on inferred crustal layers and Moho depths.
• Analyze sediment distribution patterns based on thickness measurements from 1 to 10 km.
• Study crustal thinning and continental vs. oceanic crust boundaries based on described structural models.

Strengths

• Includes specific quantitative measurements, such as sediment thickness ranging from 1 to 10 km.
• Provides detailed P-wave velocity values (e.g., 6.07 km s^-1) for inferred crustal layers.
• Reports Moho depths with specific ranges from 19 to 29 km.

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 the specific seismic survey lines described.

Provenance

Source

Australian Ocean Data Network

Collection Method

Interpretation of seismic refraction data using several inversion techniques.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-06-27 19:47:16.523756; freshness should be verified.

Geography

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