AndreaBozzo/ceres-open-data-index huggingface dataset:
Geology of the onshore Canning Basin, Western Australia

The Canning Basin is a large, intracratonic basin located between the Halls Creek Province and the Pilbara Block in the Great Sandy and Gibson Deserts region of Western Australia. Although blanketed by Cainozoic superficial sediments, reconnaissance mapping, drilling, and geophysical data have shown that the Canning Basin sequence is composed of faulted and folded Phanerozoic sedimentary rocks up to 18 km thick. The geology of the onshore Canning Basin is characterised by five major periods of sedimentation; each period comprising a number of marine and continental phases, and each separated by major intervals of erosion with or without tectonism. The first period occurred during the Early Ordovician when predominantly marine sediments were deposited. The second period extended from possibly the Silurian through to the Early Carboniferous, Evaporitic marine, then continental-to-marine sediments were laid down, including a thick sequence of reef-carbonates during the Devonian. Tensional tectonism during this depositional phase formed the Fitzroy Trough and adjacent shelves and terraces in the northeast of the Canning Basin. The third period of sedimentation began in the Late Carboniferous with both marine and continental sedimentation, initially under glacial conditions, and continued under a warmer climate into the Early Triassic, with marine and minor fluvial sediments accumulating. This was followed by a major phase of compressional tectonism, probably during the Early Jurassic, which resulted in some right lateral shear and reverse movement along the Fenton Fault System at the southern margin of the Fitzroy Trough, and the folding of sediments within the Trough. The fourth period of sedimentation commenced in late Early Jurassic times and continued until the Early Cretaceous with regional transgression from the northwest together with some fluvial influence, and ended with a minor transgression from the adjoining Officer Basin to the southeast. The final major period of sedimentation was in the Cainozoic, during a wet climate, when a well-preserved dendritic palaeodrainage system developed on a land surface dominated by a duricrusted peneplain. As conditions became drier, salt lakes and sand dunes formed. Later, near shore marine and continental sediments accumulated along the coast in response to a fluctuating sea level. Good reservoir rocks and hydrocarbon source rocks are present within the Canning Basin sequences.  Many potential petroleum trap structures have been tested with limited success. The best potential targets appear to be the Devonian reefs and the overlying Late Devonian to Early Carboniferous Fairfield Group. The Jurassic sandstones, Tertiary valley calcrete, and Quaternary alluvium are prospective for good quality groundwater.

Tags: AU-WA, Bulletin, Earth Sciences, GA Publication, Published_External, geology
Organization: Geoscience Australia Data
5028 Block 4 (Northeast) Grid of thorium ground concentration with NASVD and standard reductions applied

The radiometric, or gamma-ray spectrometric method, measures the natural variations in the gamma-rays detected near the Earth's surface as the result of the natural radioactive decay of potassium (K), uranium (U) and thorium (Th). The data collected are processed via standard methods to ensure the response recorded is that due only to the rocks in the ground. The results produce datasets that can be interpreted to reveal the geological structure of the sub-surface. The processed data is checked for quality by GA geophysicists to ensure that the final data released by GA are fit-for-purpose.
This radiometric thorium grid has a cell size of  degrees (approximately 20m) and shows thorium element concentration of the Narryer in units of parts per million (or ppm). The data used to produce this grid was acquired in 2024 by the WA Government, and consisted of 415090 line-kilometres of data at 100m line spacing and 50m terrain clearance.

Tags: Australia, EARTH SCIENCES, Earth sciences, GADDS2.0, NASVD, NCI, Published_External, Th, WA, airborne digital data, gamma-ray, geophysical survey, geophysics, grid, rad, radiometrics, raster, spectrometry, survey 5028, thorium
Organization: Geoscience Australia Data
GA339_SOL5650 Oceanic Shoals survey marine underwater video and still images

The Oceanic Shoals survey (SOL5650, GA survey 339) was conducted on the R.V. Solander in collaboration with Geoscience Australia, the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS), University of Western Australia and the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory between 12 September - 5 October, 2012. 

During the survey, underwater video and still images were acquired using the AIMS towed camera system. Video was acquired using a forward-facing camera (files available in sub-folder 'NERP_TOWVID_VIDEOS'), and still images were acquired with a downward-facing camera, with images taken every 10 seconds (files available in sub-folder 'NERP_TOWVID_STILLS'). Video was converted from tapes to compressed .avi files. Video was characterised onboard in real-time using the AIMS' Towvid characterisation scheme. These characterisations are available in sub-folder 'NERP_TOWVID_CSVs'. 

Location of ship movement during camera and sled transects are included in the spreadsheet 'SOL5650_GA0339_Stations.xls'. Exact location of the camera during deployment is recorded via the USBL and can be found in sub-folder 'NERP_USBL'.

Video and associated still images were not acquired from STN13CAM09. Video is not available from 27CAM18 and 28CAM19 (these stations were not on the digital files supplied by AIMS), although still images and Towvid characterisations were supplied. Video Tape 12 is the same as Tape 11, as supplied by AIMS. All video files were renamed at GA with a prefix listing stations contained on a given tape/file. 

In addition to underwater imagery, laboratory and deck photos were taken of specimens collected from the benthic sled. These are included in the sub-folder 'NERP_SPECIMEN_PHOTOS'

Video and image files or associated parent folders are named by station number, gear code (CAM = underwater camera system, BS = benthic sled) and then the deployment number. For example '48CAM35' represents a video transect from Station 48 that was the 35th video transect on the survey.

Data is presented here exactly as acquired onboard and converted by the AIMS, and positional accuracy or image quality has not been verified.

Tags: AU-WA, Earth Sciences, HVC_144640, Multimedia, NERP, Published_External, marine
Organization: Geoscience Australia Data
Application of biophysical information to support Australia's representative marine protected area program

In order to protect the biological diversity of marine life in Australia's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), the commonwealth government has passed the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act.  The Act is being implemented through preparation of regional marine plans (commenced in 2001) and by designing networks of representative marine protected areas (MPAs) in both commonwealth and state waters.  In the absence of direct information about the distribution of seabed biodiversity, appropriate surrogates must be used instead.  A major constraint is the short time-frame available to managers to make decisions; only information that is readily accessible and available can be used under these circumstances.  Existing seabed bathymetry data were used to produce a geomorphic features map of the Australian EEZ.  This map was used in conjunction with existing fish diversity information and other data to derive a Benthic Bioregionalisation (2005) that subdivides Australia's EEZ into 41 bioregions including 24 biologically unique provinces.  Biophysical variables measured at broad spatial scales apart from bathymetry (and derived variables such as seabed slope) include ocean primary production, seabed sediment properties, temperature and sediment mobilisation due to waves and tides. To better characterise habitats on the Australian continental margin, Geoscience Australia has created 'seascape' maps that integrate multiple layers of spatial data that are useful for the prediction of the distribution of biodiversity.

Existing seabed bathymetry data were used to produce a geomorphic features map of the Australian EEZ.  This map was used in conjunction with existing fish diversity information and other data to derive a Benthic Bioregionalisation (2005) that subdivides Australia's EEZ into 41 bioregions including 24 biologically unique provinces.

Tags: AU, Earth Sciences, External Publication, GIS, Published_External, Scientific Journal Paper, bathymetry, geomorphology, habitat, marine
Organization: Geoscience Australia Data
The Potential Impact of Bedform Migration on Seagrass Communities in Torres Strait, Northern Australia

Seagrass communities in the northwest of Torres Strait are known to disappear episodically over broad areas. Sediment mobility surveys were undertaken within two study areas during the monsoon and trade wind seasons, in the vicinity of Turnagain Island, to find out if the migration of bedforms could explain this disappearance. The two study areas covered sand bank and sand dune environments to compare and contrast their migration characteristics. Repeat multibeam sonar surveys were used to measure dune-crest migration during each season.

Tags: AU-QLD, Earth Sciences, External Publication, Published_External, Scientific Journal Paper, marine, marine survey, seabed
Organization: Geoscience Australia Data
Lord Howe Rise, Tasman Sea - preliminary geophysical results and petroleum prospects

The Lord Howe Rise is a major submarine feature in the Tasman Sea; it extends northwest from the New Zealand continental margin and lies about 600 to 1200 km off the east coast of Australia. It is about 2000 km long and 300 km wide, and most of its crest lies in water ranging from 750 to 1200 m deep. It has a continental crustal structure. The general absence of rift-valley or pull-apart basins along the eastern seaboard of Australia has led some authors to speculate that when breakup took place in the Tasman Basin, the rift-valley was breached along its western boundary fault, and is now represented by a zone of horst and graben structures some 200 km in width underlying the western part of the Lord Howe Rise and possibly the Dampier Ridge. Any sedimentary basins associated with rifting would have remained wholly attached to the Lord Howe Plate. Although survey data from the R.V. Sonne cruise show that sediment-filled basins, some of which are grabens, make up much of western Lord Howe Rise, the degree to which they are related to the pre-Tasman Basin rifting remains conjectural. The basins on Lord Howe Rise are 20-40 km wide; some contain up to 4000 m of sediment. Sediments are also relatively thick on the eastern flank of the Middleton and Lord Howe Basins. The seismic profiles indicate that wave-base erosion was taking place on Lord Howe Rise in the Late Cretaceous, and imply that a shallow marine environment was present prior to seafloor spreading in the Tasman Basin. Shallow marine silts and clays penetrated in DSDP Site 207, and palaeogeographical reconstructions, which juxtapose central Lord Howe Rise and the Gippsland Basin, indicate that both marine and non-marine petroleum source rocks may be present. Petroleum traps appear to exist against the boundary faults of the grabens, as internal structures within basins, and in structures interpreted as reefs of Late Cretaceous and Paleocene age. A seal may be provided by pelagic oozes. The eastern flank of Lord Howe Rise was probably the ancient (pre-Maestrichtian) continental margin of the Australian-Antarctic supercontinent. A wedge of Late Cretaceous or older sediment, up to 2000 m thick, which was deposited across the margin, may also be prospective. The presence of potential source rocks, suitable traps, and indications of higher than normal heat flow, suggest that this deep water area, which is now just within range of oil drilling technology, should be considered prospective for petroleum at least in the long term.

Tags: Earth Sciences, GA Publication, Journal, NSW, Published_External, QLD
Organization: Geoscience Australia Data
Mesozoic Bivalvia from Clerke and Mermaid Canyons, northwest Australian continental slope

Four sets of rock samples from two sites off the northwest Australian shelf in 3625-4480 m of water contain macrofaunas, mainly bivalves, of warm shallow-water origin. Mermaid Canyon (16o 19S, 118o 23E) provided many samples of oolitic calcarenite containing Pseudopecten (Pseudopecten) dugong n.sp., indicating an Early Jurassic age and Tethyan relationship. Three hand-specimens from the ridge forming the western edge of Clerke Canyon (16o 29S , 118o 30E) yielded a Norian coral-?Lima-oyster assemblage and the Norian-Rhaetian bivalve Palaeocurdita aff. globiformis (Boetlger). The latter shows relationship with south-east Asian (Indonesia-Vietnam- south China) forms.

Tags: Earth Sciences, GA Publication, Journal, Published_External, marine
Organization: Geoscience Australia Data
Sights and soundings from the Shackleton Ice Shelf, Antarctica

Geoscience Australia's collaborative Antarctic Geoscience program provides scientific and strategic leadership on key national priorities in Antarctica and the Southern Ocean.&nbsp;&nbsp;

From February to April 2024 one of our scientists participated in an international marine expedition to the East Antarctic Ice Shelf along Australia's Antarctic Territory coast. The expedition aboard the Research Vessel <em>Polarstern</em> entitled "East Antarctic Ice Sheet Instability and its interaction with changes in Southern Ocean circulation - Part 3" (EASI-3), was the third of the EASI expeditions to investigate ocean–ice sheet interactions along the East Antarctic margin.&nbsp;



This talk presents the voyage highlights, including scientific exploration, seabed mapping, sonars, sediment sampling, ship life and wildlife, by inviting the audience into the world of an Antarctic expeditioner.&nbsp;



Tags: Antarctica, EARTH SCIENCES, EASI-3, Outreach, Published_External, Securing Antarctica's Environmental Future (SAEF), Wednesday Seminars
Organization: Geoscience Australia Data
BMRG06MV Fremantle Southeast Indian Ridge to Port Hedland Bathymetry 1996 (1154/19960003S)

The BMRG06MV bathymetry survey was acquired by Bishop Museum, Hawaii and the University of California San Diego onboard the Scripps Institution of Oceanography (UCSD/SIO) Research Vessel Melville from the 22 February to 13 April 1996 using the Seabeam 2000 sonar system.

The bathymetry dataset was acquired while the Research Vessel Melville was transiting from Fremantle to Port Headland.

This dataset contains the 128m-210m resolution, 32-bit geotiffs of the BMR06MV survey produced from the processed SeaBeam system using the CARIS HIPS and SIPS software. 

Appropriate acknowledgment must be given to both the original scientists (Orcutt, John) (http://www.marine-geo.org/tools/search/entry.php?id=BMR06MV#datasets) and to the Marine Geoscience Data System (www.marine-geo.org).

Not to be used for navigational purposes

Tags: AusSeabed, Australia-wide geoscience data, Bathymetry, Differential Global Positioning System receivers, EARTH SCIENCES, Indian Ocean, Marine, Offshore Mapping, Published_External, RV Melville, Resourcing Australia’s Prosperity, multi-beam echosounders
Organization: Geoscience Australia Data
Thick ferromanganese deposits from the Dampier Ridge and the Lord Howe Rise off eastern Australia

Chemical and mineralogical data are presented for four ferromanganese samples (two nodules and two crusts) from two stations of the West German vessel Sonne. Three samples came from a dredge on the flanks of the Dampier Ridge in water 2400- 2700 m deep.  One came from a core on the Lord Howe Rise in water 1549 m deep. Thick ferromanganese deposits overlie a variety of substrates including granite, gabbro and feldspathic sandstone. The ferromanganese deposits, which are up to 20 cm thick, range from round mononucleate nodules with small volcanic nuclei, to polynucleate nodules, to nodules bound together as crusts, and to laminated crusts. Both nodules and crusts are hydrogenetic in origin and have low contents of Ni, Cu and Co, and low Mn:Fe ratios of 0.48-0.91. A comparison of these results with those from three deeper water stations of Galathea and Tangaroa indicates that Mn:Fe ratios, Ni% and Cu% increase markedly in deeper water, where Mn:Fe ratios exceed 2.5, and Ni+Cu+Co values exceed 1.25%. Any future search for nodules of economic significance should be concentrated in the even deeper water areas (&gt;5000 m) east and southeast of Gascoyne Seamount.

Tags: Earth Sciences, GA Publication, Journal, NSW, Published_External, QLD, marine
Organization: Geoscience Australia Data
Extent and persistence of photic zone euxinia in Late Devonian seas – insights from the Canning Basin and implications for petroleum source rock formation

Late Devonian mass extinctions attributed to extensive anoxia and/or euxinia of the oceans are associated with widespread deposition of organic-rich shales. Also in the epeiric waters of the Canning Basin (Western Australia), photic zone euxinia (PZE) prevailed during the Givetian–Frasnian, with geochemical evidence for PZE on the northern (Lennard Shelf)–, and southern (Barbwire Terrace) margins of the Fitzroy Trough. On the Lennard Shelf, shales record episodic pulses of PZE associated with high algal activity due to enhanced nutrient supply, whereas a restricted marine setting on the Barbwire Terrace is thought to be the main driver for the development of persistent PZE and associated bacterial predominance. Structural evidence indicates that the Fitzroy Trough was a confined basin during the Late Devonian with the possibility of limited ocean circulation. Widespread PZE is expected to have developed in the poorly mixed water column, if the basin received sufficient nutrient supply for enhanced primary production.

Notwithstanding the presence of anoxia during deposition of potential source rocks, only two small Devonian-sourced oil fields and numerous oil shows have been found in the Canning Basin. Biomarker assemblages show that the oils produced from the Lennard Shelf fields (i.e. Blina-1, Blina-4 and Janpam North-1) have substantially different molecular compositions to the minor oil recovered from Mirbelia-1 on the Barbwire Terrace. A correlation was established between the Lennard Shelf oils and rock extracts from the Gogo Formation at Blina-1 and McWhae Ridge-1 based on their hopane, sterane and carotenoids abundances. A definitive source correlation was not obtained for the Mirbelia-1 oil, but it did show some genetic affinity to the Givetian–Frasnian extracts from the Barbwire Terrace, suggesting that local source rocks are developed in the region.

<b>Citation:</b> Gemma Spaak, Dianne S. Edwards, Heidi J. Allen, Hendrik Grotheer, Roger E. Summons, Marco J.L. Coolen, Kliti Grice, Extent and persistence of photic zone euxinia in Middle–Late Devonian seas – Insights from the Canning Basin and implications for petroleum source rock formation, <i>Marine and Petroleum Geology</i>, Volume 93, 2018, Pages 33-56, ISSN 0264-8172, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpetgeo.2018.02.033.

Tags: Biomarkers, Canning Basin, Chlorobiaceae, EARTH SCIENCES, Published_External, middle-late Devonian, oil-source rock correlations, photic zone euxinia
Organization: Geoscience Australia Data
Cloncurry geophysical survey for underground water, Queensland 1960

This Record describes a geophysical survey for Underground water in the Cloncurry River valley, at the request of the Queensland Irrigation and Water Supply Commission, on behalf of the Cloncurry Shire Council. Appreciable differences in ground water level in different sections along the valley suggest the presence of rock bars across the valley. In choosing bore sites it is desirable to know the position of these rock bars. Plate 12 shows the location of rock bars that were indicated by ground water level data. Plate 13 shows the position of rock bars that were indicated by geophysical data. Good agreement exists between the two sets of indications. Sites that were based on geophysical data are suggested for water bores.

Tags: AU-QLD, Earth Sciences, GA Publication, Published_External, Record, geophysics, groundwater
Organization: Geoscience Australia Data
Australia's Identified Mineral Resources 2010

Australia's Identified Mineral Resources 2010 presents estimates of Australia's mineral resources at end of December 2009 for all major and several minor mineral commodities (Table 1) based on published and unpublished data available to Geoscience Australia. These resource estimates provide a long term view of what is likely to be mined.  They are compared with national totals of ore reserves for each commodity, which provides the industry view of what is likely to be mined in the short to medium term.  Mine production data are based on figures from the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences.  World ranking of Australia's mineral resources have been calculated mainly from information in publications of the United States Geological Survey.  A summary of significant industry developments also is presented.  

Australia's Identified Mineral Resources 2010 provides information on and analysis of mineral exploration expenditures in Australia for 2008-09 and the calendar year 2009.  Trends in expenditure are presented and discussed.

Tags: AU, Earth Sciences, GA Publication, Published_External, Report, geoscience, marine, mineral deposits, resource assessment
Organization: Geoscience Australia Data
Petroleum Source Rock and Fluids Atlas Database - Onshore and Offshore

The Source Rock and Fluids Atlas delivery and publication services provide up-to-date information on petroleum (organic) geochemical and geological data from Geoscience Australia's Organic Geochemistry Database (ORGCHEM). The sample data provides the spatial distribution of petroleum source rocks and their derived fluids (natural gas and crude oil) from boreholes and field sites in onshore and offshore Australian basins. The services provide characterisation of source rocks through the visualisation of Pyrolysis, Organic Petrology (Maceral Groups, Maceral Reflectance) and Organoclast Maturity data.  The services also provide molecular and isotopic characterisation of source rocks and petroleum through the visualisation of Bulk, Whole Oil GC, Gas, Compound-Specific Isotopic Analyses (CSIA) and Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GCMS) data tables. Interpretation of these data enables the characterisation of petroleum source rocks and identification of their derived petroleum fluids that comprise two key elements of petroleum systems analysis. The composition of petroleum determines whether or not it can be an economic commodity and if other processes (e.g. CO2 removal and sequestration; cryogenic liquefaction of LNG) are required for development.

Tags: Analyses, Australia’s Future Energy Resources, Basins, Enhanced Data Delivery, Exploring For The Future - EFTF, Gas, Gas Chromatograph (GC), Gochemical, Oil, Organic, Petroleum, Petrology, Published_External, Pyrolysis, Reflectance, Sampling, Stratigraphy, macerals
Organization: Geoscience Australia Data