Offshore Australia Free-Air and Bouguer Gravity Anomaly Analysis

Fifty regional gravity provinces characterize the free-air anomaly field of offshore Australia. The Australian Ocean Data Network provides this analysis, discussing anomalies in relation to structural and bathymetric features. The dataset was last updated in April 2026.

Use Cases

• Analyze free-air anomaly provinces to correlate with main structural elements on the continental shelf.
• Use Bouguer anomaly values as a guide to model variations in crustal thickness across regions like the Timor Sea.
• Identify gravity edge effects, which can reach ±70 mGal, corresponding to the top and foot of steep continental slopes.
• Study regional positive free-air anomaly values over plateaus to assess requirements for isostatic equilibrium.
• Map gravity highs on seamount chains like Lord Howe Island to understand effects of sea-floor topography and high-density igneous bodies.

Strengths

• Analysis divided into approximately fifty distinct regional gravity provinces for detailed study.
• Includes discussion of specific geological features like the Lord Howe Island seamount chain and the Inner Banda Arc.
• Provides quantitative anomaly values, with edge effects noted to reach ±70 mGal.

Limitations

• Underlying raw measurement data, row counts, and spatial resolution are not provided.
• Primary content is a descriptive analysis in PDF/HTML format, not a structured, machine-readable data table.
• Temporal range for the gravity measurements is not specified.

Provenance

Source

Australian Ocean Data Network.

Collection Method

Geophysical analysis and interpretation of gravity anomaly measurements.

Time Range

null

Freshness

Last updated in April 2026.

Geography

Offshore regions of Australia, including continental shelves, slopes, abyssal plains, and marginal plateaus.