Kenn Plateau Marine Geology Survey with Seismic and Bathymetric Data

3090 km of high-quality seismic data and 7584 km of bathymetric data were collected from the Kenn Plateau off northeast Australia. The voyage, managed by Geoscience Australia and CSIRO, recovered the first ancient rocks from this frontier offshore region. The data aims to improve geological understanding and bathymetric maps of a 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 based on swath-mapping data collected with a SIMRAD EM 300 system
• Analyzing sedimentary processes on plateau margins using the combined seismic and bathymetric results
• Building a regional geological history based on the 12 dredge hauls and one grab sample obtained

Strengths

• Includes 3090 km of high-quality seismic data for geological interpretation
• Contains 7584 km of bathymetric data collected with a SIMRAD EM 300 multibeam sonar system
• Represents the first recovery of ancient rocks from this large frontier offshore region

Limitations

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

Provenance

Source

Australian Ocean Data Network, likely involving Geoscience Australia and CSIRO

Collection Method

Acquired via the RV Southern Surveyor voyage using seismic, swath-mapping, and dredging equipment

Time Range

Voyage scheduled for November-December 2004

Freshness

Last updated 2026-06 04 06:10:29.056815; freshness should be verified

Geography

Kenn Plateau off northeast Australia