AndreaBozzo/ceres-open-data-index huggingface dataset:
MODIS Derived Chlorophyll a dataset: Seasonal Variations

The dataset measures the long-term seasonal variations of the chlorophyll a concentrations of ocean surface waters. They are derived from MODIS (aqua) images using NASA's SeaDAS image processing software. The monthly chlorophyll a images between July 2002 and December 2017 are used to calculate the standard deviations of the four austral seasons: winter (June, July, and August), spring (September, October and November), summer (December, January and February) and autumn (March, April and May). The extent of the dataset covers the entire Australian EEZ and surrounding waters (including the southern ocean). The unit of the dataset is mg/m3.

This research is supported by the National Environmental Science Program (NESP) Marine Biodiversity Hub through Project D1.

Tags: Earth Sciences, MODIS, Marine Biodiversity Hub, National Environmental Science Program, Published_External, chlorophyll
Organization: Geoscience Australia Data
The Creation of High Resolution Bathymetry Grids for Cocos (Keeling) Island

Cocos (Keeling) Island is located approximately 3,685km almost due west of Darwin. It is a mid-ocean atoll with a coral reef, and a very shallow (1 - 20 m) shelf surrounds the island. Bathymetry data are required in this area to help identify major seabed processes and habitats. The data are also required to enable modelling of tsunami as they interact with the shelf around the island and the coast. This report describes the methodology employed in creating detailed bathymetry data grids of the Cocos (Keeling) Island region. It covers data collection, quality control and gridding. Descriptions are provided of each dataset employed, the methods used to integrate the different datasets and the attributes of the new bathymetry models. Four new bathymetry grids are presented, including grids that integrate bathymetry with the island's topography.

This dataset is not to be used for navigational purposes.

Tags: 3D model, AusSeabed, CC, Chart-Derived, Compilation, DEM, Earth Sciences, GA Publication Record, HVC_144641, Multibeam, Published_External, Satellite-Derived, Singlebeam, bathymetry, marine, multibeam, seabed
Organization: Geoscience Australia Data
The Marine Geology of the Cape York Peninsula between Weipa and Cape Flattery, Northern Queensland

Surveys of the shallow coastal waters of the Cape York Peninsula completed by the Australian
Geological Survey Organisation (AGSO) in 1992/1993 form part of the Cape York Land Use
Strategy Project (CYPLUS); a joint Commonwealth and Queensland Government initiative to
assess the natural resources of the region. The CYPLUS region extends from the entrance of the
Mitchell River south of Weipa on the eastern Gulf of Carpentaria coast around to Cooktown on the
Great Barrier Reef Lagoon coast, an alongshelf distance of some 1,500km. This report summarises
the results of AGSO marine surveys which cover a 1,000 km section of the Cape York Peninsula
inner shelf between Weipa and Cape Flattery.

Tags: AU-QLD, Earth Sciences, GA Publication, Published_External, Report, marine
Organization: Geoscience Australia Data
Report on the western flank of the Muswellbrook anticline

This report deals with the results of 22,355 ft. of scout boring over an area of approximately 50 square miles on the western flank of the Muswellbrook (N.S.W.) Anticline. A traverse of overlapping bore-holes, located between the outcrops of the Upper Marine Series (Mulbring Beds) in the east and of the Triassic sediments in the west; provided a more complete section of the Upper Coal Measures in this area than has been previously available. Some 46 coal seams were encountered and tentatively numbered for correlation. Some of the coal seams exhibit very good qualities, but none could be classed as a good gas or coking coal. Igneous intrusions are numerous and of a fairly wide vertical and areal extent; their influence on the associated coal seams is generally destructive. The results of the above boring may be regarded as a basis, for any detailed future underground and/or open-cut mining investigations. No attempt was made to estimate coal reserves of any kind.

Tags: AU-NSW, Earth Sciences, GA Publication, Published_External, Record, commodities, mineral deposits, prospectivity, stratigraphy
Organization: Geoscience Australia Data
New SHRIMP U-Pb zircon ages from Tasmania July 2012-June 2013

This Record contains new zircon U-Pb geochronological data obtained via Sensitive High-Resolution Ion Micro Probe (SHRIMP) from 6 samples of plutonic igneous rocks of the Eastern and Western Tasmania Terranes. These data were obtained during the reporting period July 2012-June 2013, under the auspices of the collaborative Geochronology Project between the Mineral Resources of Tasmania (MRT) and Geoscience Australia (GA).
The primary objective of this study is refining the regional chronology of mid-Palaeozoic felsic magmatism in Tasmania, following on from the extensive U-Pb SHRIMP zircon study of Black et al. (2005). In a few cases, the samples were chosen because of economic importance, or to help resolve regional problems. Five samples were analysed from the Eastern Tasmanian Terrane and one sample from the Western Tasmanian Terrane.

Tags: AU-TAS, Earth Sciences, GA Publication, Published_External, Record, SHRIMP
Organization: Geoscience Australia Data
Chemistry of manganese nodules from the Cape Leeuwin field off Western Australia

A preliminary report on the manganese nodule field southwest of Western Australia published in this Journal recently (Frakes, Exon and Granath, 1977) quoted chemical analyses which were carried out on air-dried material. Significantly higher metal values have been recorded in some later analyses done on nodules dried at 105Â°C. Tests have shown that the ground, air-dried material retains considerable moisture, which accounts for the higher metal values of the later analyses. The average water content (after drying at 105Â°C) has been determined at 16 percent. The relevant chemical data now available on this material are summarised in the accompanying table: in this table metal values (by atomic absorption spectrophotometry) have been recalculated assuming a moisture content of 16 percent.

Tags: Earth Sciences, GA Publication, Journal, Published_External, WA, marine
Organization: Geoscience Australia Data
The ancient Murray River system

It has previously been suggested that an ancient Murray River once extended across the present line of the Mt Lofty Ranges, and emptied into Spencer Gulf.  Evidence available from a comprehensive study of the Murray Basin shows that this is unlikely, at least during the Cainozoic.  Sedimentation patterns reconstructed from several thousand borelogs suggest that a precursor to the modern river existed at least from the Eocene, but that this river emptied into the Murravian Gulf of the Southern Ocean at sites within the Murray Basin during periods of marine flooding, and at sites close to that of the modern mouth at times of lowered sea level. Precursor streams to most major tributaries of the Murray River have also existed since at least the Eocene, and drainage patterns reflect the combined influences of subtle tectonic movement of underlying shallow basement and eustatic overprinting.

Tags: Earth Sciences, GA Publication, Journal, Published_External, SA
Organization: Geoscience Australia Data
Digital Earth Australia Coastlines

Background:
Australia has a highly dynamic coastline of over 30,000 km, with over 85% of its population living within 50 km of the coast. This coastline is subject to a wide range of pressures, including extreme weather and climate, sea level rise and human development. Understanding how the coastline responds to these pressures is crucial to managing this region, from social, environmental and economic perspectives. 

What this product offers:
Digital Earth Australia Coastlines is a continental dataset that includes annual shorelines and rates of coastal change along the entire Australian coastline from 1988 to the present. 

The product combines satellite data from Geoscience Australia's Digital Earth Australia program with tidal modelling to map the typical location of the coastline at mean sea level for each year. The product enables trends of coastal erosion and growth to be examined annually at both a local and continental scale, and for patterns of coastal change to be mapped historically and updated regularly as data continues to be acquired. This allows current rates of coastal change to be compared with that observed in previous years or decades. 

The ability to map shoreline positions for each year provides valuable insights into whether changes to our coastline are the result of particular events or actions, or a process of more gradual change over time. This information can enable scientists, managers and policy makers to assess impacts from the range of drivers impacting our coastlines and potentially assist planning and forecasting for future scenarios. 

Applications
- Monitoring and mapping rates of coastal erosion along the Australian coastline 
- Prioritise and evaluate the impacts of local and regional coastal management based on historical coastline change 
- Modelling how coastlines respond to drivers of change, including extreme weather events, sea level rise or human development 
- Supporting geomorphological studies of how and why coastlines have changed across time

Tags: MARINE Coasts, OCEANOGRAPHY Physical, Published_External
Organization: Geoscience Australia Data
Davis Multibeam Survey 2016/17, Antarctica (GA-0357/AAP 5093) - High Resolution Backscatter Grid

Geoscience Australia, the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) and the Australian Antarctic Division (AAD) conducted a hydrographic surveying and seafloor characterisation survey in nearshore waters offshore from Davis Station in the Australian Antarctic Territory. 

The multibeam data was acquired during January-February 2017 using two workboats. Geoscience Australia used the AAD workboat Howard Burton and the Royal Australian Navy used their Antarctic Survey Vessel (ASV) Wyatt Earp. The survey is a component of Australian Antarctic Program (AAP) Project 5093 Hydrographic Surveying and Seafloor Characterisation Program (Chief Investigator: Ursula Harris, AAD). 

The objective of the survey was to map the seabed environment in shallow (&lt;300 m) coastal waters adjacent to Davis station in the Vestfold Hills region, to obtain data for the compilation of nautical charts and to acquire fundamental baseline data necessary for informed environmental management, science, infrastructure and logistical operations. 

Data collected during the survey includes high-resolution multibeam bathymetry and backscatter data, sediment samples, seafloor imagery and sub-bottom profiles. 

This dataset comprises a backscatter grid from multibeam sonar data acquired using the AAD workboat Howard Burton, gridded at 2 m spatial resolution, covering a combined area of 90 km2. The Chief Scientist onboard the Howard Burton was Dr. Jodie Smith (Geoscience Australia).

Tags: EARTH SCIENCES, Published_External, antarctica, backscatter
Organization: Geoscience Australia Data
Constructing geologically-constrained 3D models using 3D Geomodeller: An example from the Paterson Orogen

The Paterson National Geoscience Agreement project is using a number of tools to better understand the time-space evolution of the northwest Paterson Orogen in Western Australia. One of these tools, 3D Geomodeller, is an emerging technology that constructs three-dimensional (3D) volumetric models based on a range of geological information. The Paterson project is using 3D Geomodeller to build geologically-constrained 3D models for the northwest Paterson Orogen. This report documents the model building capability and benefits of 3D Geomodeller and highlights some of the geological insights gained from the model building exercise. The principal benefit of 3D Geomodeller is that it provides geoscientists with a rapid tool for testing multiple working hypotheses.

The Cottesloe Syncline district was selected as the focus for a trial of the 3D Geomodeller software. The 3D model was built by members of the Paterson Project, as well as model building specialists within Geoscience Australia.  The resultant Cottesloe Syncline model including two dimensional sections, maps and images was exported from 3D GeoModeller and transformed into a Virtual Reality Modelling Language (VRML), enabling a wide audience to view the model using readily available software.

Tags: AU-WA, Earth Sciences, Published_External, Report, geology, geophysics, marine, model
Organization: Geoscience Australia Data
AHO Reference Surfaces Hobart 0.5m and 1m 2023 (20230017R)

The Hobart Reference Surfaces bathymetry survey was acquired for the Australian Hydrographic Office (AHO) on 10 Oct to 8 Nov 2021. This surface was created from a contracted national reference survey in Hobart TAS, collected for the purpose of calibrating multibeam echosounders.&nbsp;It was conducted for the Australian Hydrographic Office as part of the Hydroscheme Industry Partnership Program, acquired using Kongsberg EM2040D, and processed using QPS Qimera. Separate grids in 0.5m and 1m resolutions are provided for the two surveyed sites within this survey area in MSL, LAT and Ellipsoid vertical datum. The dataset was then exported as 0.5m and 1m resolutions, 32 bit floating point GeoTIFF grid of the survey area.

This dataset is not to be used for navigational purposes.

Tags: AusSeabed, EARTH SCIENCES, Earth Science | Oceans | Bathymetry/Seafloor Topography | Bathymetry, HVC-144641, Oceans, Published_External, bathymetric grids, bathymetry, multibeam
Organization: Geoscience Australia Data
New SHRIMP U-Pb zircon provenance and in situ monazite metamorphic ages from the Mount Robe Sub-block, Broken Hill, New South Wales: July 2015–June 2017

This Record presents new zircon and monazite U-Pb geochronological data, obtained via Sensitive High Resolution Ion Micro Probe (SHRIMP), from three samples of sedimentary rocks, collected from the Sundown and Paragon Groups of the Willyama Supergroup in the Mount Robe Sub-block, Curnamona Province, New South Wales. The work is part of an ongoing Geochronology Project, conducted by the Geological Survey of New South Wales (GSNSW) and Geoscience Australia (GA) under a National Collaborative Framework (NCF) agreement, to better understand the geological evolution of the Broken Hill region. The results presented herein correspond to the reporting period July 2015–June 2017.

Tags: Broken Hill, Mount Robe, Published_External, SHRIMP
Organization: Geoscience Australia Data
Drowned dolines - the blue holes of the Pompey Reefs, Great Barrier Reef

Blue holes occur at Cockatoo and Molar Reefs, in the Pompey hard line reefs. These two holes are roughly circular in shape, between 240-295 m in diameter, and 30-40 m deep. They are completely (Cockatoo) or partially (Molar) rimmed by profuse living coral and surrounded by lagoonal depths of 5-10 m. The inner slopes of the Cockatoo blue hole are 60-70Â° down to a depth of 25 m, below which coalescing sediment fans markedly reduce this angle. At the Molar blue hole, slopes are mainly gentler (45Â°) and sediment fans and terraces occur below 16 m. Distinct biological/sedimentary associations occur in both holes. Seismic refraction studies across the rim of the blue holes show a shallow (8.5-11 m) pre-Holocene surface beneath the rims. The balance of evidence suggests that the blue holes represent collapsed dolines which may have taken more than one low sea-level period to form. The original surface structures have been modified by subaerial solution processes, and subsequent sediment infill and coral growth following the Holocene transgression.

Tags: Earth Sciences, GA Publication, Journal, Published_External, QLD, marine
Organization: Geoscience Australia Data
An Initial Assessment of Estuarine Geomorphic Habitats as Indicators of Coastal Waterway Health

An important aim of the comparative geomorphology of estuaries project was to increase understanding of the environmental characteristics of near-pristine estuaries and provide a reference dataset for quantifying changes in habitat patterns in modified systems. It was anticipated that this aim would be fulfilled by identifying key geomorphic characteristics of the near-pristine systems that may be used to benchmark the current condition of, and quantify change within, 'modified' waterways. Here we provide examples of some very promising results obtained from our preliminary analyses of the geomorphic habitat area information contained within the GIS maps available on OzEstuaries.

Tags: AU-EEZ, Earth Sciences, External Publication, Published_External, Report, coasts, geomorphology, marine
Organization: Geoscience Australia Data
Esso Gippsland Shelf No 1 Well Victoria Of Esso Exploration Australia, Inc

Esso Gippsland Shelf No. I, Australia's first offshore well, was drilled by Esso Exploration Australia, Inc., in the Gippsland Basin, about sixteen miles off the Ninety Mile Beach, south-eastern Victoria.

Gippsland Shelf No. 1 was spudded on 27th December, 1964, reached a total depth of 8701 feet on 31st May, 1965, and was completed as a suspended gas well on 5th June, 1965. The 268-foot drilling vessel "Glomar III" owned and operated by Global Marine Australasia pty Ltd was used to drill the well.

The well penetrated a Tertiary section to 5378 feet and an Upper Cretaceous section from 5378 feet to 8701 feet, total depth. 353 feet of gas column was logged in the top of the Eocene Latrobe Valley Coal Measures, which proved to be productive by subsequent tests. Minor hydrocarbon shows in the Upper Cretaceous section are considered to be noncommercial.

Three production tests were made through perforations opposite sandstones in the Latrobe Valley Coal Measures; one to confirm the gas-water contact and two for reservoir evaluation. On the first and lowermost test from 3809 to 3814 feet the well flowed gas at the maximum rate of 1.63 MMcf/D and fresh water at the rate of 750 barrels a day. On the other tests the maximum flow rates were 6.85 MMcf/D plus 75 barrels of consensate a day, and 5.36 MMcf/D plus 79 barrels of condensate a day.

The well was the first offshore discovery in Australia, and gave the first significant production from the Latrobe Valley Coal Measures. It was also the first occurrence of a porous sandstone member in the Gippsland Limestone; the first occurrence of porous sandstone members in the Upper Cretaceous section; and the first occurrence of a Mesozoic section younger than the Strzelecki Group in the Gippsland Basin.

A new and unknown sandstone section some 369 feet thick was encountered in the lower part of the Gippsland Limestone. The areal extent of this section is as yet unknown. Otherwise the lithology of the Tertiary sequence was as expected.

The stratigraphic drilling operation at Esso Gippsland Shelf No. 1 was subidized under the Petroleum Search Subsidy Act 1959-1964, from surface to total depth.

Tags: AU-VIC, Earth Sciences, GA Publication, Other Publication, Published_External, petroleum exploration
Organization: Geoscience Australia Data
The gravity field of offshore Australia

The free-air anomaly field of offshore Australia has been divided into about fifty regional gravity provinces, each of which is characterized by uniformity of trend, free-air anomaly level, or degree of disturbance. These are discussed in relation to structural and/or bathymetric features in each region. The Bouguer anomalies are used as a rough guide to variations in crustal thickness. On the continental shelf the free-air anomaly provinces generally correlate with the main structural elements. The Precambrian shields are associated mainly with regional gravity lows, and the peripheral mobile belts mainly with gravity ridges. On the northwest and southern margins these mobile belts cut across the continental shelf and appear to be truncated at the shelf-break. On the marginal plateaus and terraces the free-air anomaly pattern largely reflects the relative elevation of basement and the thickness of sediment. The well-defined gravity highs on the Lord Howe Island and Tasmantid seamount chains are caused by the combined effects of sea-floor topography and high-density igneous bodies. Regional positive free-air anomaly values over the broad continental shelves of the Northwest and Southern Margins, and negative values on the adjacent abyssal plains, indicate that slight readjustment of the crust/mantle interface must occur in these regions if isostatic equilibrium is to be attained. However, the well-defined free-air anomaly ridges and troughs which correspond to the top and foot of the continental slope respectively, are largely a gravity edge effect caused by abrupt changes in water depth and crustal thickness. This can reach Â±70 mGal over steep slopes, such as that bordering the Tasman Basin. Regional positive free-air anomaly values over the Queensland and Marion Plateaus indicate that slight subsidence of these features is necessary if they are to attain isostatic equilibrium. The Bouguer anomaly values indicate that the crust thins oceanward except in the Timor Sea area where crustal thickening occurs, probably due to interaction of lithospheric plates along the Inner Banda Arc. Crust of typically oceanic thickness (10-15 km) is confined to the lower part of the continental slopes and the abyssal plains, generally oceanward of the 4000 m isobath.

Tags: AUS, Earth Sciences, GA Publication, Journal, Published_External, marine
Organization: Geoscience Australia Data
Implications of sponge biodiversity patterns for the management of a marine reserve in northern Australia

Marine reserves are becoming progressively more important as anthropogenic impacts continue to increase, but we have little baseline information for most marine environments. In this study, we focus on the Oceanic Shoals Commonwealth Marine Reserve (CMR) in northern Australia, particularly the carbonate banks and terraces of the Sahul Shelf and Van Diemen Rise which have been designated a Key Ecological Feature (KEF). We use a species-level inventory compiled from three marine surveys to the CMR to address several questions relevant to marine management: 1) Are carbonate banks and other raised geomorphic features associated with biodiversity hotspots? 2) Can environmental (depth, substrate hardness, slope) or biogeographic (east vs west) variables help explain local and regional differences in community structure? 3) Do sponge communities differ among individual raised geomorphic features? Approximately 750 sponge specimens were collected in the Oceanic Shoals CMR and assigned to 348 species, of which only 18% included taxonomically described species. Between eastern and western areas of the CMR, there was no difference between sponge species richness or assemblages on raised geomorphic features. Among individual raised geomorphic features, sponge assemblages were significantly different, but species richness was not. Species richness showed no linear relationships with measured environmental factors, but sponge assemblages were weakly associated with several environmental variables including mean depth and mean backscatter (east and west) and mean slope (east only). These patterns of sponge diversity are applied to support the future management and monitoring of this region, particularly noting the importance of spatial scale in biodiversity assessments and associated management strategies.

<b>Citation:</b> Przeslawski, R., Alvarez, B., Kool, J., Bridge, T., Caley, M.J., Nichol, S. (2015) Implications of Sponge Biodiversity Patterns for the Management of a Marine Reserve in Northern Australia. PLoS ONE 10(11): e0141813. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0141813

Tags: Biodiversity, Community structure, Earth Sciences, External Publication, Marine Biology, Marine conservation, Marine environments, National Environmental Research Program (NERP), Published_Internal, Scientific Journal Paper, Species diversity, Sponges, Taxonomy
Organization: Geoscience Australia Data