Kenn Plateau Geological Survey: Seismic and Bathymetric Data Off Northeast Australia

A 2004 marine survey collected 3090 km of high-quality seismic data and 7584 km of bathymetric data over the Kenn Plateau off northeast Australia. The voyage, managed by Geoscience Australia, recovered the first ancient rocks from this frontier offshore region. The data aims to improve geological understanding and bathymetric maps of this poorly known part of Australia's marine jurisdiction.

Use Cases

• Modeling geological evolution based on seismic reflection profiles mentioned in the description
• Improving bathymetric maps and analyzing seafloor morphology based on swath-mapping data
• Reconstructing regional geological history based on recovered rock samples
• Studying sedimentary processes on plateau margins using combined bathymetric and seismic data

Strengths

• Includes 3090 km of high-quality seismic reflection data
• Contains 7584 km of bathymetric data from a multibeam sonar system
• Represents the first rock samples recovered from this frontier region

Limitations

• Sampling program was curtailed, resulting in only 12 dredge hauls and one grab sample
• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment

Provenance

Source

Australian Ocean Data Network, likely involving Geoscience Australia and CSIRO

Collection Method

Marine survey conducted aboard the RV Southern Surveyor using seismic equipment and a SIMRAD EM 300 multibeam sonar

Time Range

2004 (with specific voyage in November-December)

Freshness

Last updated 2026-04-10 17:57:59.329384; freshness should be verified

Geography

Kenn Plateau, off northeast Australia, within Australia's marine jurisdiction