Mellish Rise Marine Geology Survey: Seismic, Bathymetry, and Dredge Data

Geoscience Australia's 2005 survey of the Mellish Rise region off northeast Australia collected 1189 km of multichannel seismic data using a 24-channel streamer. The survey also recorded multibeam and single beam bathymetry, magnetic data, and sampled 44 dredge sites and 5 core stations on the Mellish Rise, Kenn Plateau, and Louisiade Plateau. Foraminiferal, nannofossil, and petrological studies were conducted on recovered rocks and sediments.

Use Cases

• Modeling tectonic plate boundaries based on seismic reflection and magnetic anomaly data.
• Mapping seafloor topography and geological features using multibeam bathymetry data.
• Analyzing the composition and age of continental fragments based on rock and sediment samples from dredge and core stations.
• Investigating paleoenvironmental conditions through foraminiferal and nannofossil studies of sediment cores.

Strengths

• Includes 1189 km of multichannel seismic reflection data.
• Covers 44 dredge sites and 5 core stations, with the great bulk of deployments reported as successful.
• Integrates multiple data types: seismic, bathymetry, magnetics, and physical samples.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Data freshness should be verified; the metadata was last updated on 2026-07-22.

Provenance

Source

Geoscience Australia, via the Australian Ocean Data Network.

Collection Method

Acquired during R.V. Southern Surveyor cruise SS02/2005 using a 24-channel seismic streamer, GI airguns, and dredging/coring equipment.

Time Range

2005 (survey cruise SS02/2005).

Freshness

Metadata last updated 2026-07-22 01:41:09.081574; survey conducted in 2005.

Geography

Mellish Rise, Kenn Plateau, and Louisiade Plateau off northeast Australia.