AndreaBozzo/ceres-open-data-index huggingface dataset:
Late Permian palynozones and associated CA-IDTIMS dated tuffs from the Bowen Basin, Australia

As part of a continuing program to date Permian plant microfossil zones using CA-IDTIMS dating, 11 tuff and 18 sedimentary core samples were examined from the Bowen Basin succession intersected in APLNG Meeleebee 5, a CSG well spudded in the Surat Basin, Queensland. The Bowen Basin consists of terrestrial and marine sediments interspersed with numerous tuff layers and economic coal seams. Palynological strew-slides were examined using a light microscope to identify taxa. Quantitative analyses, with counts up to 100 specimens, were undertaken. Almost all the plant microfossil assemblages analysed from the Meeleebee 5 core belong to the Price (1997) APP5 spore-pollen zone, and one may belong to the younger APP6 zone. The APP5 index species, Dulhuntyispora parvithola was present throughout the section. The APP5005 index species Microreticulatisporites bitriangularis was also present in many samples and the Micrhystridium evansii acme event was readily identified. Triquitrites proratus, a species usually restricted to APP6, was identified near the top of the succession, although no other species typical of APP6 were found. When compared with CA-IDTIMS tuff ages, the Dulhuntyispora parvithola zone spans around five million years, almost extending to the Permian-Triassic boundary. Additionally, the Microreticulatisporites bitriangularis Subzone and Microstridium evansii event are both younger than previously estimated. By combining the results of the palynology and CA-IDTIMS dating, numeric ages are attached to palynostratigraphic units, aiding regional and global correlations of the palynofloras and economic coal-bearing sequences of the basin.

Tags: AU-QLD, Earth Sciences, GA Publication, Published_External, Record, environmental, geochronology, palaeontology
Organization: Geoscience Australia Data
Australia's Maritime Jurisdiction around Tasmania - Lambert projection

Map showing Australia's Maritime Jurisdiction around Tasmania, including South Tasman Rise and Victoria but not Macquarie Ridge. Based on Lambert Conformal Conic Projection.
One of the 27 constituent maps of the "Australia's Maritime Jurisdiction Map Series" (GeoCat 71789).
Depicting Australia's extended continental shelf, approved by the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf in April 2008, and various maritime zones.  Background bathymetric image is derived from a combination of the 2009 9 arc second bathymetric and topographic grid by GA and a grid by Smith and Sandwell, 1997. Background land imagery derived from Blue Marble, NASA's Earth Observatory.
A0 sized portrait format .pdf downloadable from the web.

Tags: AU-TAS, Administrative Boundary, Earth Sciences, Published_External, Thematic Map, administrative boundaries, bathymetry, continental shelf, marine, marine jurisdiction
Organization: Geoscience Australia Data
Seafloor bathymetry flythrough of Australia's Antarctic Territory

This flythrough presents seabed bathymetry compilations for the Australian Antarctic margin. 

The bathymetry data presented is derived from a combination multibeam, singlebeam and satellite data (namely ETOPO2). There are few areas of the Antarctic margin with high quality multibeam data, but where present, such as off the Davis coastline, these data reveal a complex seabed environment. Bathymetry data is a powerful tool for mapping seabed environments and predicting the potential distributions of biological communities. 

Images showing different types of seabed communities are included for the George V margin and the Davis coastline.

Tags: AQ, AU, Antarctic data, Earth Sciences, Flythrough, Multimedia, Published_External, bathymetry, marine, seabed
Organization: Geoscience Australia Data
Mapping and characterising soft-sediment habitats, and evaluating physical variables as surrogates of biodiversity in Jervis Bay, NSW

A series of short field surveys in Jervis Bay, New South Wales, were undertaken by Geoscience Australia staff as part of the Surrogates Program in the Commonwealth Environmental Research Facilities (CERF) Marine Biodiversity Hub. The aim of the Jervis Bay field work was to collect accurately co-located physical and biological data to enable research into the utility of physical parameters as surrogates for patterns of benthic biodiversity in shallow soft-sediment habitats. In this report the survey design and sampling methods are described; selected field datasets are mapped and discussed; initial results of the laboratory analysis of seabed samples are presented; and there is a brief description of the upcoming analysis of covariance of the physical and biological datasets.

The major outputs of the survey work to date are:
1.  High-resolution multibeam acoustic datasets for priority areas along the open coast of Jervis Bay (Beecroft Head to Drum and Drumsticks), within the Jervis Bay National Park; and within the southern bay around Darling Road, and in the bay entrance. 
2.  High quality underwater video footage of benthic habitats in the Darling Road study area acquired with Geoscience Australia's shallow-water towed-video system. The video was used to characterise benthic habitat types, relief/bedform types, and biota occurrence. Characterisations were collected in real-time along bi-directional (six offshore and four alongshore) towed video transects, and were subsequently processed and mapped into three ArcGIS map layers.
3.  A set of broad-scale (bay-wide) widely-spaced, co-located sediment and biotic (infauna) seabed samples from the bay's soft-sediment habitats (polychaete mounds, drift algal beds, sand flats, and sand ripple and wave habitats); 
4.  Sediment samples for geochemical, biogeochemical and sedimentological analyses. 
5.  A new acoustic doppler current profiler was successfully trialed, and is now being used to collect seabed current data in the Darling Road study area. 
6.  A progress report on the survey work was presented at the annual CERF Marine Biodiversity Hub's Annual Science Workshop in October 2008.

Tags: AU-NSW, CERF, Earth Sciences, GA Publication, Published_External, Record, coasts, environmental, habitat, mapping, marine, petroleum exploration
Organization: Geoscience Australia Data
QLD Tsunami Inundation Modelling Project Final Report: Gladstone Region 2024-2025

This report presents a comprehensive Probabilistic Tsunami Hazard Assessment (PTHA) developed by Geoscience Australia in partnership with Queensland Fire Department for the Gladstone region, from Agnes Waters to Yeppoon. It characterises tsunami hazards posed to the area by earthquakes from major subduction zones around the Pacific Ocean. The report details the modelling approach along with its validation against three historic tsunami events, the probabilistic sampling of earthquake scenarios and their occurrence rates before showcasing inundation and marine hazard results. The results include conservative estimates for possible inundation zones corresponding to current Joint Australian Tsunami Warning Centre warning categories. These inundation zones provide a basis for emergency services to develop targeted evacuation and emergency management in the Gladstone region.

Tags: Natural Hazards, Published_External, earthquakes, natural hazards, tsunami
Organization: Geoscience Australia Data
Continuity of Earth Observation Data for Australia - Operational Requirements to 2015 for Lands, Coasts and Oceans

Earth Observations from Space describes a range of approaches that observe and measure Earth surface properties from space-based platforms. Earth Observations from Space data is used widely and to great advantage in Australia by numerous federal and state government agencies, research institutions, and the private sector, and have particular value in a large, sparsely populated country that needs to monitor a long coastline and a wide range of natural disasters. Australias involvement in international agreements that require recording, monitoring and reporting on environmental change also necessitates the use of Earth Observations from Space data.

Tags: Earth Sciences, GA Publication, Published_External, atmosphere, marine
Organization: Geoscience Australia Data
Videos and images from SOL5117 (Joseph Bonaparte Gulf)

The Joseph Bonaparte Gulf survey (SOL5117, GA survey #0325) was conducted on the R.V. Solander between 30 July and 30 September 2010 in collaboration with staff from the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) and the Museum and Art Gallery of Territory (MAGNT). This was a follow up survey from a survey in 2009 (SOL4934, GA survey #0322). The SOL5117 survey was undertaken under a Collaborative Agreement between GA and the AIMS. SOL5117 survey collected acoustic multibeam data (bathymetry and backscatter), sub-bottom profile data, as well as detailed geological (sedimentological, geochemical) and biological (towed-video, benthic sled, Smith McIntyre grabs) data for seabed environments (banks, channels and plains) from 4 offshore grids along a N-S transect.  In addition, shipboard photographs were taken of barcoded biological specimens. The aims of the survey were to map, identify and investigate potential geohazards and unique, sensitive environments that relate to infrastructure; and to use exisitng data to evaluate the capacity to predict geohazards and sensitive environments.

Underwater video footage and still photographc images (12 megapixel resolution) from towed-video were collected from 46 (Leg 1) and 33 (Leg 2) stations, although quality varies among transects and some still images were not of suitable quality for analysis. Video and image files or associated parent folders are named by station number, gear code (CAM = underwater camera system) and then the deployment number. For example, 'stn48CAM35' would represent a video transect from Station 48 that was the 35th video transect on the survey.

Tags: Earth Sciences, HVC_144640, Multimedia, Published_External, WA, environmental, geochemistry, geophysics, marine, sedimentology
Organization: Geoscience Australia Data
Bathymetric Expression of the Fitzroy River Palaeochannel: Implications for Sediment Transport on the Semi-rimmed Southern Great Barrier Reef, Australia

We report the presence of a prominent bathymetric expression of the Fitzroy River palaeochannel on the continental shelf of the southern Great Barrier Reef (GBR), Australia. The Fitzroy River, and the Burdekin River are the two largest point sources of terrigenous sediment to the GBR, which represents the worlds largest tropical mixed siliciclastic-carbonate sedimentary province. The Fitzroy River palaeochannel differs from that of the previously discovered Burdekin palaeochannel in that it has not yet been buried by sediments. Evidently, the dominance of platform reef rather than barrier reef geomorphology, coupled with macrotidal oceanographic conditions has limited aggradation behind the shelf edge, as postulated for the Burdekin region. Contrary to current models for the central GBR which suggest that slope sedimentation is limited to periods of transgression, the palaeo-Fitzroy probably contributed sediment directly to the continental slope of the southern GBR throughout the lowstand. Additionally, it appears that during the highstand, accumulation of terrigenous sediment on the middle and outer shelf has been minimal. The southern GBR represents a transition between the mainly terrigenous wave and ocean current dominated shelf of southeastern Australia, and the mixed siliciclastic-carbonate storm-influenced shelf of the GBR. The discovery of the Fitzroy River palaeochannel in the southern GBR physiographic setting provides new data by which the response of major rivers to sea level change can be characterised.

Tags: AU-QLD, Earth Sciences, External Publication, Published_External, Scientific Journal Paper, bathymetry, continental shelf, marine, seabed
Organization: Geoscience Australia Data
An Appraisal of Petroleum Exploration Title Areas - Offshore and Central Queensland May 1974

This record is the result of a brief examination of data relevant to the titles areas. All available data have been used in its preparation, including confidential company reports, but no original interpretation has been made.

Summaries are given of the regional geology, hydrocarbon potential, geophysical activity and drilling results. Assessments have been made of the prospectivity of the title areas, and recommendations are made for further exploration.

Because of the moratorium on exploration on the Great Barrier Reef, only scientific surveys have been carried out since 1969 and no wells have been drilled.

Aeromagnetic. and the small amount of reconnaissance seismic work carried out prior to the moratorium indicate the continental shelf is covered by a thin veneer of sediments with several ill-defined basinal depressions. These sediments are generally thought to be of Tertiary and Mesozoic age. Prospects for hydrocarbon accumulations within the existing title areas are rated as low.

An area in the southeastern part of the Gulf of Papua outside the present title areas is considered to have the best prospects.

Tags: AU-QLD, Earth Sciences, GA Publication, Published_External, Record, marine
Organization: Geoscience Australia Data
The Cape Range structure, Western Australia Pt 1: Stratigraphy and structure Pt 2: Micropalaeontology

The Cape Range Structure, which occupies the North-West Cape peninsula, is a closed anticline in Tertiary limestones. The structure is at least eighty miles long and twenty miles wide, and has a vertical closure of 1200 feet and a closed area of 1200 square miles. The physiography is a reflection of the structure-a young fold mountain with mainly consequent, closely-spaced, drainage. The Tertiary sediments were laid down in a shelf area of the southwestern arm of the Indo-Pacific geosyncline. Because of the stability of the adjoining Western Australian shield, they did not attain the thickness of the sediments laid down elsewhere in the Indonesian geosyncline, nor were they affected to the same extent by subsequent tectonic disturbance. Five Tertiary formations are exposed on the Cape Range-the lower Miocene (e-stage) Mandu Calcarenite (265 feet of chalky limestone), the lower Miocene (f1-stage) Tulki Limestone (225 to 420 feet of hard crystalline limestone) and the possibly lower Miocene (f1 to , ?f2stage). Trealla Limestone (18'0 feet of white crystalline limestone), constituting the Cape Range Group; and the possibly lower Miocene Pilgramunna Formation and possibly Pliocene Vlaming Formation, forming the Yardie Group (calcareous sandstone and fine conglomerate up to 300 feet thick). Beneath the Miocene limestones are probably at least 3,000 feet of Cretaceous and Eocene marine sediments and possibly up to 18,000 feet of Permian, Carboniferous, and Devonian marine sediments. In vertical closure and closed area the Cape Range Structure is' the largest in the Carnarvon (North-West) Basin. Potential drainage of oil is unrestricted on the west flank and on the northern two-thirds of the east flank. Further geophysical (gravity and seismic) investigations should be carried out so as to try to determine the thickness of sediments and the shape of the structure in depth.

Tags: AU-WA, Bulletin, Earth Sciences, GA Publication, Published_External, geology, stratigraphy, structural geology
Organization: Geoscience Australia Data
Marine geology of the Arafura Sea

This Bulletin presents the results of a marine geological survey carried out by BMR in the Arafura Sea in 1969 as part of a program of regional geological reconnaissance mapping of the Australian continental shelf. It is a continuation of work in the Timor Sea and northwest shelf (van Andel, Veevers, 1967; Jones, 1968, 1970). The area surveyed is the northern Australian continental shelf between longitudes 130Â° and 136Â°E and between latitudes 8Â° and 12Â°S (Fig. 1), an area of about 240 000 km-. From 2 to 25 May the Japanese research submersible Yomiuri and its mothership, the converted deepsea tug Yamato, were made available. The major part of the survey lasted from 21 September to 6 December 1969, using the chartered oil-rig supply vessel San Pedro Sound as a platform.

Tags: AU, Bulletin, Earth Sciences, GA Publication, Published_External, geology, marine, marine survey
Organization: Geoscience Australia Data
Darwin Harbour Habitat Mapping Program: Sediment grain size data

This resource contains sediment grain size data and their summary statistics for the greater Darwin Harbour region. These data were derived from the measurement of sediment grain sizes from seabed samples collected as part of a baseline habitat mapping program for the Darwin Harbour region, including Bynoe Harbour. This project was funded through offset funds provided by INPEX-led Ichthys LNG Project to the Northern Territory Government’s Department of Environment and Natural Resources (NTG-DENR) with co-investment from Geoscience Australia (GA) and the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS). The intent of this program is to improve knowledge of the marine environments in the Darwin and Bynoe Harbour regions by collating and collecting baseline data that enable the creation of thematic habitat maps and information to underpin marine resource management decisions. The sediment samples were collected during multiple surveys undertaken by GA, AIMS and NTG-DENR between 2011 and 2017. A total of 499 samples are reported on from 489 stations with all grain size data published in the Marine Sediments Database (MARS). This dataset is published with the permission of the CEO, Geoscience Australia.

Tags: Published_External, grain size, seabed, sediment
Organization: Geoscience Australia Data
A surrogacy approach to evaluate the habitat potential of Australian submarine canyons

The seascape of the vast Australian continental margin is characterised by numerous submarine canyons (n=753) that represent an equally vast array of geomorphic and oceanographic heterogeneity. Theoretically, this heterogeneity translates into habitats that may vary equally widely in their ecological characteristics. Here we describe the methodology to develop a surrogacy framework to broadly derive estimates of potential habitat condition (¿suitability¿ sensu lato) for pelagic and epibenthic megafauna (including demersal fishes), and benthic infauna in all of Australia¿s known submarine canyons using 22 environmental/ecological variables.  We find that the high geomorphic and oceanographic diversity of submarine canyons creates a multitude of potential habitat types. In general, it appears that canyons may be particularly high-quality for benthic species. Canyons that incise the shelf tend to score higher in habitat potential than those confined to the slope. Canyons with particularly high habitat potential are located mainly off the Great Barrier Reef, the NSW coast, the eastern margin of Tasmania and Bass Strait, and on the southern margin. Many of these canyons have complex bottom topography, are likely to be productive, and have less intense sediment disturbance regimes. The framework presented here can be relevant ¿ once refined and comprehensively validated with ecological data - in a management and conservation context to identify canyons (or groups of canyons) that are likely to represent high-value habitat along a vast continental margin where marine planning decisions may require spatial prioritization decisions.

This abstract was submitted/presented to the 2017 Australian Marine Science Association Conference - AMSA (https://www.amsa.asn.au/2017-darwin)

Tags: Australian Continental margin, EARTH SCIENCES, Published_External, ecological characteristics, submarine canyon, surrogacy framework
Organization: Geoscience Australia Data
BMR journal of Australian geology and geophysics vol.11 no.1

Contents:
1.McCue KF, Kennett BLN, Gaull BA, Michael Leiba MO, Weekes J, Krayshek C. A century of earthquakes in the Dalton-Gunning region of New South Wales. 
2.Drummond BJ, Muirhead KJ, Wright C, Wellman P. A teleseismic travel time residual map of the Australian continent. 
3.Qizheng W, Mills KJ, Webby BD, Shergold JH. Uppper Cambrian (Mindyallan) trilobites and stratigraphy of the Kayrunnera Group, western New South Wales. 
4.Symonds PA, Willcox JB. Australia's petroleum potential in areas beyond an Exclusive Economic Zone. 
5.Hall LH. Discussion: The elusive Cook volcano and other submarine forearc volcanoes in the Solomon Islands. 
6.Exon NF, Johnson RW. Reply (The elusive Cook volcano and other submarine forearc volcanoes in the Solomon Islands).
7.Taylor G, McQueen I, Brown MC. Discussion: Major geomorphic features of the Kosciusko-Bega region. 
8.Ollier CD, Taylor D. Reply (Major geomorphic features of the Kosciusko-Bega region). 
9.Belford DJ. Planktonic foraminifera and age of sediments, west Tasmanian margin, South Tasman Rise and Lord Howe Rise. 
10.Dickins JM. Youngest Permian marine macrofossil fauna from the Bowen and Sydney Basins, eastern Australia. 
11.Michael Leiba MO, Gaull BA. Probabilistic earthquake risk maps of Tasmania. 
12.Michael Leiba MO. Macroseismic effects, locations and magnitudes of some early Tasmanian earthquakes.

Tags: AU, Earth Sciences, GA Publication, Journal, Published_External
Organization: Geoscience Australia Data
Environmental Management of Clastic Coastal Depositional Environments: Inferences from an Australian Geomorphic Database

Simple, conceptual geomorphic models can assist environmental managers in making informed decisions regarding management of the coast at continental and regional scales. This basic information, detected from aerial photographs and/or satellite images, can be used to ascertain the relative significance of several common environmental issues, including: sediment trapping efficiency, turbidity, water circulation, and habitat change due to sedimentation for different types of clastic coastal depositional environments.

Tags: AU-EEZ, Earth Sciences, External Publication, Published_External, Scientific Journal Paper, marine
Organization: Geoscience Australia Data