Timor Sea Continental Shelf Sediment Lithofacies Map

Three 1:1,000,000 scale lithofacies maps of shelf sediments were published by early 1974, covering the Rowley Shoals, Scott Reef, and Arafura Sea areas. The Bureau of Mineral Resources produced this data as part of a systematic reconnaissance geological survey program following a 1967 monograph. The accompanying Bulletin 83 provides critical interpretation guidance for the mapped variations in sediment lithology.

Use Cases

• Analyze sediment lithofacies distribution to infer modern and past depositional regimes across the mapped shelf areas.
• Correlate gravel content data with bathymetry to identify relic sediments from earlier geological periods.
• Use the 1:1,000,000 scale maps to identify non-depositional or erosional zones on the continental shelf.
• Integrate map data with Bulletin 83 to interpret variations in lithology not solely attributable to modern processes.

Strengths

• Three published map sheets at a standardized 1:1,000,000 scale.
• Data is supported by a detailed interpretive bulletin (Bulletin 83) for context.

Limitations

• Map does not distinguish between modern sediments and relics of earlier regimes.
• The dataset's primary temporal coverage and sample collection dates are not specified.
• Data format (PDF/HTML) is not directly machine-readable for analysis.

Provenance

Source

Bureau of Mineral Resources (Australia), published via the Australian Ocean Data Network.

Collection Method

Systematic reconnaissance geological surveys of the continental shelf.

Time Range

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Freshness

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Geography

Timor Sea continental shelf, specifically Rowley Shoals, Scott Reef (Western Australia), and Arafura Sea (Northern Territory).