Haines Structure: Seismic Profile of a Probable Eocene Impact Crater in Western Australia

The Haines Structure is a symmetrical seismic feature interpreted as a probable complex impact crater, imaged in a 2D seismic profile from the offshore Canning Basin, Western Australia. The structure spans approximately 2.5 km and is characterized by a central uplift, a depressed upper surface, and a deformed intervening package within carbonate units of Eocene or Early Oligocene age. This dataset is provided by the Australian Ocean Data Network via data_gov_au.

Use Cases

• Validate impact crater identification models based on seismic character features like central uplift and sagging horizons.
• Compare subsurface geology with other interpreted impact structures on Australia's North West Shelf.
• Analyze seismic deformation patterns to distinguish impact origins from alternative processes like volcanic pipes.

Strengths

• The description provides specific seismic characteristics, including a symmetrical structure over ~2.5 km, a central uplift, and a sagging overlying horizon.
• The dataset includes a temporal context, placing the structure within Eocene or Early Oligocene carbonate units.

Limitations

• The structure has not been drilled, so definitive evidence like shock metamorphism is unavailable.
• Data is based on a single 2D seismic profile, limiting three-dimensional analysis.
• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.

Provenance

Source

Australian Ocean Data Network

Collection Method

Interpretation of a 2D seismic profile from petroleum exploration.

Time Range

Eocene or Early Oligocene age

Freshness

Last updated 2026-06-04 07:19:10.557484; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Offshore Canning Basin, Western Australia