AndreaBozzo/ceres-open-data-index huggingface dataset:
Geochemical characteristics of Mesozoic petroleum systems in the Bonaparte Basin, northwestern Australia

The Bonaparte Basin has been actively explored for over twenty years. The recent oil discovery at Tenacious in the Vulcan Sub-basin, oil production from the Laminaria-Corallina fields on the Laminaria High, as well as gas/condensate discoveries at Bayu-Undan, Sunrise and Sunset fields in the Zone of Co-operation (ZOCA), highlight the continuing prospectivity of the region.

Despite this focussed exploration, geoscientists are yet to come to an understanding of the regions petroleum systems. This study uses isotopic and biomarker analyses carried out on Mesozoic oils from the Bonaparte Basin to geochemically characterise oil families within the Westralian Petroleum Supersystem. Oil-oil correlations are made between the Vulcan Sub-basin, ZOCA and the Browse Basin, and statistical analysis indicates multiple oil families sourced from Jurassic and Early Cretaceous rocks. These oils are contrasted with those of the Palaeozoic petroleum systems in the Petrel Sub-basin.

The Upper Jurassic Lower Vulcan Formation has sourced the majority of oils produced from the Vulcan Sub-basin which are assigned to the Westralian-2 Vulcan Petroleum System. In the ZOCA region, two distinct end-member oil families/sub-families are recognised; a land-plant influenced family in the west, and a marine influenced family in the southeast. A third oil family in the north comprises condensate from Sunrise-1 that has a distinct marine carbonate biomarker signature. A fourth group of oils, reservoired in fractured Darwin Formation, has a marine geochemical signature and appears to have been expelled from the Cretaceous Echuca Shoals Formation. These oils are geochemically similar to some Browse Basins oils.

Presented at the 2000 AAPG International Conference and Exhibition, Bali

Tags: Bonaparte Basin, Browse Basin, Earth Sciences, GA Publication, Published_External, Territory of Ashmore and Cartier Islands, Timor Sea, oil-oil correlations, organic chemistry, petroleum exploration, petroleum systems
Organization: Geoscience Australia Data
WEST10MV Fremantle Southeast Indian Ridge Hobart Bathymetry 1995 (1274/19950001S)

The WEST10MV bathymetry survey was acquired by the Oregon State University onboard the Scripps Institution of Oceanography (UC/SIO) Research Vessel Melville from the 29 January to 12 March 1995 using the Seabeam 2000 sonar system.
The bathymetry dataset was acquired while the Research Vessel Melville was transiting from Frematle to Southeast Indian Ridge to Hobart. 
This dataset contains the 8-210m resolution, 32-bit geotiffs of the WEST10MV survey produced from the processed SeaBeam system using the CARIS HIPS and SIPS software. 
Appropriate acknowledgment must be given to both the original scientists (Christie, David) (http://www.marine-geo.org/tools/search/entry.php?id=WEST10MV#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, EARTH SCIENCES, Indian Ocean, Marine, Offshore Mapping, Published_External, RV Melville, Resourcing Australia’s Prosperity, Southern Ocean, multi-beam echosounders
Organization: Geoscience Australia Data
Managing Australia's Marine Jurisdictions movie

This short video summarises the value of Geoscience Australia's work to the management of Australia's marine jurisdictions.  

The video is from a series of six films produced to communicate Geoscience Australia's value to the nation. 

Further information about the agency's work in this area can be found at http://www.ga.gov.au/value-to-the-nation

Tags: Earth Sciences, Multimedia, Published_External
Organization: Geoscience Australia Data
Beyond Corals and Fish: The Effects of Climate Change on Noncoral Benthic Invertebrates of Tropical Reefs

Climate change is threatening tropical reefs across the world, with most scientists agreeing that the current changes in climate conditions are occurring at a much faster rate than in the past and are potentially beyond the capacity of reefs to adapt and recover. Current research in tropical ecosystems focuses largely on corals and fishes, although other benthic marine invertebrates provide crucial services to reef systems, with roles in nutrient cycling, water quality regulation, and herbivory. We review available information on the effects of environmental conditions associated with climate change on noncoral tropical benthic invertebrates, including inferences from modern and fossil records. Increasing sea surface temperatures may decrease survivorship and increase the developmental rate, as well as alter the timing of gonad development, spawning, and food availability. 

Environmental changes associated with climate change are linked to larger ecological processes, including changes in larval dispersal and recruitment success, shifts in community structure and range extensions, and the establishment and spread of invasive species. Loss of some species will trigger economic losses and negative effects on ecosystem function. Our review is intended to create a framework with which to predict the vulnerability of benthic invertebrates to the stressors associated with climate change, as well as their adaptive capacity. We anticipate that this review will assist scientists, managers, and policy-makers to better develop and implement regional research and management strategies, based on observed and predicted changes in environmental conditions.

Tags: Earth Sciences, External Publication, Published_External, Scientific Journal Paper, environmental, marine, marine biodiversity
Organization: Geoscience Australia Data
SI 1042 Lord Mayor Shoal to Pitt Shoals (HIPP) Bathymetry Acquisition (20230021S)

The Lord Mayor Shoal to Pitt Shoals&nbsp;bathymetry survey was acquired for the Australian Hydrographic Office (AHO) during the period 1 Oct 2023 – 30 Nov 2023. This was a contracted survey conducted for the Australian Hydrographic Office as part of the Hydroscheme Industry Partnership Program. The survey area encompasses an area in Lord Mayor Shoal to Pitt Shoals. Bathymetry data was acquired using a Kongsberg EM2040 MKII, and processed using CARIS HIPS and SIPS processing software. The dataset was then exported as a 30m resolution, 32 bit floating point GeoTIFF grid of the survey area.

This dataset is not to be used for navigational purposes.

Tags: AusSeabed, Australia-wide geoscience data, EARTH SCIENCES, Earth Science | Oceans | Bathymetry/Seafloor Topography | Bathymetry, HVC_144641, Multibeam, Oceans, Offshore Mapping, Published_External, Resourcing Australia’s Prosperity, bathymetric grids, bathymetry, multibeam
Organization: Geoscience Australia Data
Vlaming Sub-basin and Mentelle Basin: Environmental Summary

This report is one of a series of environmental summaries of frontier basins, which are scheduled for acreage release during the timeframe of the 'Energy Security Initiative' (2007-2011). The aim of these reports is to synthesise the available environmental information to adequately equip the exploration industry to anticipate as many as possible of the environment-related issues that may impact on exploration and potential future production activities.

The environmental information for the Vlaming Sub-basin and Mentelle Basin has been compiled and presented in a manner consistent with the Geographic Information System (GIS) provided with this report. The GIS includes the results of an analysis to obtain representative seascapes. Seascapes are the principal environmental output and in recent years assisted Department of Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts with the design and implementation of a National Representative System of Marine Protected Areas for Australia (Section 1.1). The following section summarises the geological history of the Vlaming Sub-basin and Mentelle Basin and provides a tectonic and depositional context for the geophysical data and geomorphology of the sub-basin, which are discussed in Sections 3 and 4, respectively. The surface sediment properties are described in Section 5. These sections provide all of the information necessary to characterise benthic habitats. Section 6 discusses the oceanographic processes operating in the sub-basin, which influence both the benthic and pelagic ecology described in Section 7. Section 8 synthesises the information contained in the first seven sections into a seascape map of the Vlaming Sub-basin and Mentelle Basin.

Tags: AU-WA, Earth Sciences, GA Publication, Published_External, Record, continental margins, environmental, geomorphology, marine, sedimentology
Organization: Geoscience Australia Data
Delhi-Santos Gidgealpa No. 1 Well South Australia Of Delhi Australian Petroleum Ltd And Santos Limited

Delhi-Santos Gidgealpa No. 1 Well was drilled in the north-eastern corner of South Australia by Delhi Australian Petroleum Ltd, as operator, and Santos Limited. The well is 60 miles south-west of Innamincka No. 1 and 50 miles west-north-west of Dullingari No. 1. 

Gidgealpa No. 1 was spudded on 28th August, 1963, reached a total depth of 13,114 feet on 27th November, 1963, and was completed as a water well flowing from the Mooga Sandstone on 6th December, 1963. A National 80-B rig, owned and operated by Drilling Contractors (Australia) Pty Ltd, was used to drill the well.

Gidgealpa No. 1 was drilled as an off-structure well on the flank of a prominent closed anticline. The Mesozoic sequence was the thickest yet encountered in wells in the western part of the Great Artesian Basin, and very similar to that found in Innamincka No. 1. The overall lithology of the Permian in Gidgealpa No. 1 resembles that in Dullingari No. 1 although detailed correlation is not possible. Below the regional angular unconformity at the base of the Permian, a thick sequence of Cambrian marine carbonates and tuffaceous sediments was penetrated. This was the first encounter of Cambrian rocks in the subsurface of the Great Artesian Basin.

More hydrocarbon shows were encountered in the Permian sequence in this well than in any other drilled to date in this region. Unfortunately the sandstones exhibited very low porosity. A deep zone of porous dolomite, some 400 feet thick, was also discovered in the Middle Cambrian, and on test, flowed very gassy saltwater. Thus Delhi-Santos Gidgealpa No. I, in addition to providing much new geological information, gave most encouraging indications that, under favourable conditions, the Permian and the newly discovered Middle Cambrian dolomite could produce hydrocarbons.

The off-structure drilling operation at Delhi-Santos Gidgealpa No. 1 was subsidized under the Petroleum Search Subsidy Act 1959-1961, from surface to total depth.

Tags: AU-SA, Earth Sciences, GA Publication, Other Publication, Published_External, petroleum exploration
Organization: Geoscience Australia Data
Palaeogeographic maps for South Perth Shale Supersequence in the Vlaming Sub-basin (Perth Basin) with the implications for its sealing potential

In 2011 as part of the National CO2 Infrastructure Plan (NCIP), Geoscience Australia started a three year project to provide new pre-competitive data and a more detailed assessment of the Vlaming Sub-basin prospectivity for the storage of CO2. Initial assessment by Causebrook 2006 of this basin identified Gage Sandstone and South Perth Shale (SPS) formations as the main reservoir/seal pair suitable for long-term storage of CO2. SPS is a thick (1900 m) deltaic succession with highly variable lithologies. It was estimated that the SPS is capable of holding a column of CO2 of up to 663m based on 6 MICP tests (Causebrook, 2006). The current study found that sealing capacity of the SPS varies considerably across the basin depending on what part of the SPS Supersequence is present at that location. Applying a sequence-stratigraphic approach, the distribution of mudstone facies within the SPS Supersequence, was mapped across the basin. This facies is the effective sub-regional seal of the SPS. Analysis of the spatial distribution and thickness of the effective seal is used for characterisation of the containment potential in the Vlaming Sub-basin CO2 storage assessment.

Tags: AU-WA, Earth Sciences, GA Publication, Poster/Image, Published_External, geological storage of CO2, marine, palaeogeography
Organization: Geoscience Australia Data
Glaciomorphological features on the East Antarctic Davis and Mawson Sea continental shelves - First results from Polarstern Expedition PS141

The RV Polarstern Expedition PS141 (06.02 – 14.04.2024), 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 that aim to investigate ocean–ice sheet interactions along the East Antarctic margin on different timescales. East Antarctic Ice Sheet (EAIS) fluctuations directly impact global sea level and ocean circulation. Studies on long-term ice sheet variability have so far mainly focused on the West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS). Therefore, very little is known about EAIS’s response to past climate fluctuations, especially its interplay with oceanic processes along the continental margin directly offshore the deep and vulnerable Aurora subglacial basin.

The target region of the expedition were the Davis and Mawson Sea continental shelves between 85°E and 115°E, off the ice margin of Wilhelm II to Wilkes Land. Continuous multibeam bathymetry and sediment echography surveys of this largely unexplored area was one of the main objectives of the expedition. In total, we collected more than 7500 nm of hydroacoustic data on this expedition. The data reveal a wealth of sediment transport features from the upper continental slope towards a variety of glacial landscapes on the shelf, including iceberg scours, mega-scale glacial lineations, subglacial lakes, and grounding zone wedges. Detailed mapping of these features will help to reconstruct ice sheet dynamics in this area. Here we present some first preliminary results of the expedition.



Abstract presented at the 2nd International Conference on Seafloor Landforms, Processes and Evolution, Italy 2024.

Tags: Antarctic Geoscience, Antarctica, EAIS, EASI-3, Ice Sheet, Marine Geoscience, Published_External, Sea Level, Seabed Mapping, Southern Ocean, conference material
Organization: Geoscience Australia Data
Petrel Sub-basin Study 1995-1996 : Geohistory Modelling

AGSO's 1995-96 Petrel Sub-basin Study was undertaken within AGSO's Marine, Petroleum and Sedimentary Resources Division (MPSR) as part of MPSR's North West Shelf Project. The study was aimed at understanding the stratigraphic and structural development of the basin as a framework for more effective and efficient resource exploration. Specifically, the study aimed to:
- define the nature of the major basement elements underlying the Petrel Sub-basin and their influence on the development of the basin through time,
- determine the nature and age of the events that have controlled the initiation, distribution and tectonic evolution of the basin;
- define the nature and age of the basin fill, and the processes that have controlled its deposition and deformation; and, importantly,
- determine the factors controlling the development and distribution of the basin's petroleum systems and occurrences.

Tags: Earth Sciences, GA Publication, Published_External, Record, geology, stratigraphy
Organization: Geoscience Australia Data
South Australian Gulf and Yorke Cenozoic Basins hydrogeological inventory

This South Australian Gulf and Yorke Cenozoic Basins dataset contains descriptive attribute information for the areas bounded by the relevant spatial groundwater feature in the associated Hydrogeology Index map. Descriptive topics are grouped into the following themes: Location and administration; Demographics; Physical geography; Surface water; Geology; Hydrogeology; Groundwater; Groundwater management and use; Environment; Land use and industry types; and Scientific stimulus.

The South Australian Gulf and Yorke Cenozoic basins consist of eleven separate basins with similar sediments. These relatively small to moderate-sized basins overlies older rocks from the Permian, Cambrian, or Precambrian periods and are often bounded by north-trending faults or basement highs. The largest basins, Torrens, Pirie, and Saint Vincent, share boundaries. 

The Torrens and Pirie basins are fault-bounded structural depressions linked to the Torrens Hinge Zone, while the Saint Vincent basin is a fault-bounded intra-cratonic graben. Smaller isolated basins include Carribie and Para Wurlie near the Yorke Peninsula, and Willochra and Walloway in the southern Flinders Ranges. The Barossa Basin, Hindmarsh Tiers, Myponga, and Meadows basins are in the Adelaide region. These basins resulted from tectonic movements during the Eocene Australian-Antarctic separation, with many forming in the late Oligocene. Sediment deposition occurred during the Oligocene to Holocene, with various environments influenced by marine transgressions and regressions. 

The well-studied Saint Vincent Basin contains diverse sediments deposited in fluvial, alluvial, deltaic, swamp, marine, littoral, beach, and colluvial settings, with over 30 major shoreline migrations. Eocene deposition formed fluvio-deltaic lignite and sand deposits, before transitioning to deeper marine settings. The Oligocene and Miocene saw limestone, calcarenite, and clay deposition, overlain by Pliocene marine sands and limestones. The uppermost sequences include interbedded Pliocene to Pleistocene limestone, sand, gravel, and clay, as well as Pleistocene clay with minor sand lenses, and Holocene to modern coastal deposits. The sediment thickness varies from less than 50 m to approximately 600 m, with the Saint Vincent Basin having the most substantial infill. Some basins were previously connected to the Saint Vincent Basin's marine depositional systems but later separated due to tectonic movements.

Tags: Basin Analysis, EARTH SCIENCES, ECOLOGY, ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES, Environmental Management, Exploring for the Future, GEOLOGY, Groundwater, Hydrogeology, Land Use and Environmental Planning, National Groundwater Sytems, National Hydrogeological Inventory, PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY AND ENVIRONMENTAL GEOSCIENCE, Published_External, Sedimentology, Stratigraphy (incl. Biostratigraphy and Sequence Stratigraphy)
Organization: Geoscience Australia Data
Sedimentology and holocene history of a tropical estuary (Broad Sound, Queensland)

Broad Sound is situated at the confluence of four large estuaries. Freshwater inflow is restricted to the summer months. The Sound and its attendant estuaries are characterized by shallow water, a large tidal range (10 m), and strong tidal currents. In the shallow marine environment (the most seaward) pre- Holocene relict calcareous gravels are common. Calcareous sands, commonly occurring as sand ridges capped by megaripples, predominate in the open intertidal environment. Muds are most abundant in the mangrove swamp, mangrove channel, and supratidal flat environments, the muds become less calcareous and more saline in a landward direction. Textural studies revealed that grainsize parameters can be used to divide the sediments into environmentally significant groups; they also indicated that most of the sediments are brought into the estuaries during times of summer floods, and redistributed by tidal currents during the remainder of the year. The petrology and mineralogy of the sediments are consistent with some relative seaward movement of terrigenous sediment and landward movement of calcareous sediment. The relict nature of some of the sediments is revealed by their mineralogy, in particular their lack of less stable carbonates and heavy minerals. There is a seaward trend of increasing maturity in both the heavy-mineral and light-mineral assemblages. Drilling and radiocarbon dating have shown that most of the sediments are of late Holocene age. It appears from the Broad Sound evidence that sea level stabilized about 6000 years ago. Since that time there has been a marked seaward progradation of the shoreline producing a 'fining upward' regressive sequence. Regression appears to have been more rapid on the east side of the Sound, possibly a result of some late Holocene uplift. The Broad Sound study is valuable because it provides not only a regressive model for environmental interpretation in ancient sediments, but also a yardstick against which environmental changes in tropical estuaries can be measured.

Tags: AU-QLD, Bulletin, Earth Sciences, GA Publication, Published_External, marine
Organization: Geoscience Australia Data
Management of saltwater intrusion in coastal aquifers in Queensland, Australia

Many Queensland rivers have extensive deltas, which have large reserves of groundwater.  These deltas contain fertile land suitable for intense agricultural development with associated towns and industry, all relying on groundwater for their water supply requirements. In some areas, extensive water use, especially in dry times, has resulted in saltwater intrusion into the aquifers.  Management techniques have had to be developed and implemented to ensure the sustainability of these supplies.  Individual hydrological situations have to be managed in different ways to take full advantage of the resources available.  Options for management include artificial recharge schemes where conditions are suitable and surface water is available, or the provision of supplementary supplies from surface water storages to relieve demand on the groundwater resources. Restrictions on use may have to be applied during dry period and, in some cases, deliberate overuse with subsequent intrusion of saltwater has been permitted to encourage agricultural development of certain areas, with surface water being supplied when it became available.  Extensive monitoring of groundwater levels and quality is carried out to detect any movement of the freshwater/saltwater interface.  Models are used to predict future movement.  The experience in Queensland has been that engineering works, coupled with management linked to predictive groundwater models, can reduce saltwater intrusion and provide high sustainable yields from coastal aquifers.

Tags: Earth Sciences, GA Publication, Journal, Published_External, QLD, marine
Organization: Geoscience Australia Data
Upper Cambrian (Mindyallan) trilobites and stratigraphy of the Kayrunnera Group, western New South Wales

Nine species of trilobites are recorded from three localities within a restricted stratigraphic interval near the base of the newly defined Kayrunnera Group (previously Kayrunnera Beds) on Kayrunnera station, western New South Wales. These occurrences come from the Boshy Formation of the Kayrunnera Group. The trilobites described include species of Ammagnostus, Meteoraspis, Biaverta, Blackwelderia, Bergeronites, and Placosema. This assemblage is early Late Cambrian (Mindyallan), and most closely referable to the late Mindyallan zone of Glyptagnostus stolidotus. The steeply dipping,weakly cleaved Upper Cambrian-basal Ordovician Kayrunnera Group overlies, with a well-defined angular unconformity, a more deformed tightly folded and strongly cleaved, graded, turbidite sandstone sequence. The turbidite succession is considered to be Early to Middle Cambrian, by lithological correlation with similar rocks containing sponge spicules and trace fossils elsewhere in the Wonominta Block. The upright isoclinal folds of this sequence and the angular unconformity were produced during a major orogenic phase, probably an early expression of the Delamerian Orogeny, in late Middle Cambrian time. After uplift and erosion there followed a period of early-middle Late Cambrian marine transgression, during which the lower part of the Kayrunnera Group was deposited. The beds include the trilobite-bearing Boshy Formation, of shallow marine origin.

Tags: Earth Sciences, GA Publication, Journal, NSW, Published_External
Organization: Geoscience Australia Data