AndreaBozzo/ceres-open-data-index huggingface dataset:
Laboratory Methods for Evaluating Migrated High Molecular Weight Hydrocarbons in Marine Sediments at Naturally Occurring Oil Seeps

A laboratory study has been conducted to determine the best methods for the detection of C10 to C40 hydrocarbons at naturally occurring oil seeps in marine sediments.  The results indicate that a commercially available method using hexane to extract sediments and gas chromatography to screen the resulting extract is effective at recognizing the presence of migrated hydrocarbons at concentrations between 50 to 5,000 ppm.  When the oil charge is unbiodegraded the level of charge is effectively tracked by the sum of n-alkanes in the gas chromatogram.  However, once the charge oil becomes biodegraded, with the loss of n-alkanes and isoprenoids, the level of charge is tracked by the quantification of the Unresolved Complex Mixture (UCM).  The use of GC-MS was also found to be very effective for the recognition of petroleum related hydrocarbons and results indicate that GC-MS would be a very effective tool for screening samples at concentrations below 50 ppm oil charge.

Tags: Earth Sciences, External Publication, Published_External, geochemistry, marine, organic geochemistry
Organization: Australian Ocean Data Network
Marine geology of the Capricorn Channel area

The area discussed in this Bulletin covers the Capricorn and Curtis Channels, Hervey Bay, and the continental shelf and slope off the northern part of Fraser Island; it also includes the reefs of the Capricorn and Bunker Groups, and the southern edge of the Swain Reefs. This study has concentrated on the morphology, sediments, and shallow stratigraphy and structure of the region. The area is bounded by the Queensland mainland to the west and the Tasman Basin to the east. The floor of the Capricorn Channel slopes down to the southeast and eventually merges with the Tasman abyssal plain. There is no well defined shelf break in this area, and although there is an increase in gradient between the 600 and 1000-m isobaths, no true continental slope exists. East of the Swain Reefs the sea floor slopes down to the Marion Plateau, a wide marginal plateau between depths of 200 and 600 m. This in turn slopes down into the Cato Trough. Fraser Island has been built out across the continental shelf and its northward extension, the Breaksea Spit, extends almost to the edge of the shelf. A submarine canyon system dissects the continental slope to the north and east of Breaksea Spit. The Capricorn Channel forms a large embayment between the Swain Reefs and the Capricorn and Bunker Groups. The floor of the channel shows very little topographic expression except for some reefal banks, a zone of high-amplitude sand waves, and a shallow trough near the 200-m isobath. All these features are considered to be relict, although the reefal banks immediately north of the Capricorn Group support an abundant living fauna. They also provide evidence of low sea levels during the time of their formation. Features on the shelf south of the Capricorn and Bunker Groups and in Hervey Bay include symmetric and asymmetric sand waves, and an ancient subaerial drainage system that extends across the shelf to the continental slope. The sediments have been divided into nine lithofacies primarily on the basis of texture and carbonate content. Most of the shelf is covered by sands while the Capricorn Channel is floored by predominantly fine-grained sediments. The main structural elements of the area are the Bunker High, Swains High, and the intervening Capricorn Basin. Seismic results show a draping of sediments over the Bunker High and the presence of shallow basement in the area. The Capricorn Basin is considered to have begun subsiding towards the end of the Cretaceous, possibly as a result of the opening of the northern Tasman Basin. The thick sequence of sediments in the basin consists of a predominantly non-marine Palaeogene succession and a marine Neogene succession.

Tags: AU-QLD, Bulletin, Earth Sciences, GA Publication, Published_External, geology, marine, marine survey
Organization: Australian Ocean Data Network
KN145L4 Perth Canyon Bathymetry 1994 (1179/19940008S)

The KN145L4 bathymetry survey was acquired by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution onboard the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) Research Vessel Knorr from the 19 November to 22 November 1994 using the SeaBeam 2112 sonar system. The bathymetry dataset was acquired while the Research Vessel Knorr was surveying the Perth Canyon in Australia.   

This dataset contains the 128-210m resolution, 32-bit geotiffs of the KN145L4 survey produced from the processed SeaBeam system using the CARIS HIPS and SIPS software. 

Appropriate acknowledgment must be given to both the Dr. (Purdy, G. M.) (http://www.marine-geo.org/tools/search/entry.php?id=KN145L4#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 Knorr, Resourcing Australia's Prosperity, multi-beam echosounders
Organization: Australian Ocean Data Network
The Permian Orthotetacea of Western Australia

Species belonging to the superfamily Orthotetacea Williams form an important part of the Permian marine faunas of Western Australia. Four genera-Streptorhynchus King, Kiangsiella Chao, Derbyia Waagen,and PermoTthotetes gen. nov.-are represented. Twenty-one species are described and at least two others are indicated by incomplete collections. Many species appear to be restricted in range and are useful in stratigraphical correlation. The group of strophomenoid brachiopods now known as the superfamily Orthotetacea Williams 1953 has been for many years of interest to brachiopod students. Representative species are widely distributed throughout the world. The group attains its acme in the Upper Palaeozoic, particularly in Upper Carboniferous and Permian time. Six species only have hitherto been recorded in the Permian of Australia. One species has been described from the Permian of Eastern Australia-Streptorhynchus pelicanensis Fletcher, originally described by Etheridge in 1892 as Orthotetes senilis, from Queensland. Streptorhynchus perfidiabadensis (Etheridge) occurs at Treachery Bay, Northern Territory. Two species of Streptorhynchus and a Derbyia-like form were described from the Permian of Western Australia by Hosking (1932). In recent years extensive field work by geologists of the Bureau of Mineral Resources and of the University of Western Australia has added greatly to knowledge of the Western Australian Palaeozoic rocks and has augmented collections considerably. The Orthotetacea are now seen to be abundantly represented in Western Australia and are of considerable stratigraphical value. Four genera with at least 23 species can be distinguished in the Permian. The genus Schuchertella is known in the Devonian of the Fitzroy Basin and in the Lower Carboniferous Laurel Beds of the Fitzroy Basin. Schellwienella has lately been recognized in the Lower Carboniferous Septimus Limestone of the Bonaparte Gulf Basin and in the Lower Carboniferous Moogooree Limestone of the Carnarvon Basin. Schellwienella and an unidentified genus are present in the Carboniferous Weaber Group of the Bonaparte Gulf Basin of the Northern Territory.

Tags: AU-WA, Bulletin, Earth Sciences, GA Publication, Published_External
Organization: Australian Ocean Data Network
The geochemistry of Lake Frome, a playa lake in South Australia

Lake Frome, a large playa in southeast South Australia, lies at the centre of an internal drainage basin. Sediments and brines in the lake were studied to determine if the movement of fluids and sediments into an internal drainage basin in an arid environment could concentrate metal ions through evaporation or the action of sulphate reducing bacteria. Secondary objectives were the study of continental brines, playa sedimentation, and mound springs. Stratigraphic analysis based on samples from a series of shallow auger holes shows that over the last 17000 years medium to fine sand accumulated on the margins of the lake and mud in the centre. The sediment has issued from streams entering the lake on all but the eastern sides, mainly in delta fans. Three informal stratigraphic units were recognised - upper and lower sandy units, and a muddy unit which is regarded as a lateral equivalent. A salt crust up to 20 cm thick overlies the clastic sediment in the centre of the lake. At the time of the survey about 10 per cent of the lake was covered with water. Both surface and sub-surface waters are hypersaline (26 to 34 percent) and characterized by high concentrations of sodium and chloride ions. The major ions have probably been derived from marine sediments. No enrichment of minor elements was detected in the brines, but lead appears to be leached from the sediments as soluble chloride complexes. Clastic sediments from the lake have been analysed for major and minor elements. Statistical analysis of the results indicates that the upper and lower sands are geochemically similar and that they differ from the muds, which have higher concentrations of organic carbon and certain minor elements. There is no evidence of concentration of metal ions although manganese appears to have been concentrated on the surface of the lake by algae. Mound springs in the northeastern part of the lake differ from those of the southeast in composition of the mound and the water. The composition of the water reflects mixing of artesian water with lake brines.

Tags: Earth Sciences, GA Publication, Journal, Published_External, SA
Organization: Australian Ocean Data Network
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: Australian Ocean Data Network
Stratigraphy of the Cretaceous/Paleogene boundary interval at the Lord Howe Rise, Southwest Pacific

During Deep Sea Drilling Project (DSDP) Leg 21, Cenozoic and latest Cretaceous sediments were recovered at Site 208 on the Lord Howe Rise, Southwest Pacific. We provide new biostratigraphic, magnetostratigraphic and geochemical data of cores from Site 208 to constrain stratigraphy around the Cretaceous/Paleogene (K/Pg) boundary. Biostratigraphic data on calcareous nannofossils indicate a nearly continuous deposition of sediment from the Maastrichtian of the Late Cretaceous to the Danian and Selandian of the Paleocene at depths of 540-590 meters below seafloor (mbsf). The biostratigraphic data suggest that the K/Pg boundary corresponds to a siliceous claystone at the bottom of an interval of silicified sediment at the depths of 576.0-576.8 mbsf. Carbonate carbon isotopic composition (δ13Ccarb) reveals a negative shift across this interval, which is consistent with the global pattern of δ13C across the K/Pg boundary. Osmium concentration and Os isotopic composition (187Os/188Os) are used for identification of the K/Pg boundary, as the K/Pg boundary is marked by a peak in Os concentration and a drop in 187Os/188Os values to 0.12-0.15 caused by the K/Pg bolide impact. Our 187Os/188Os data indicate a similar variation with that of the coeval ocean water, with the lowest 187Os/188Os value of 0.12-0.16 in the siliceous claystone. However, the concentration of Os is low (&lt;80 pg g-1) in this sample. This suggests that the siliceous claystone was deposited around the K/Pg boundary, but may not include the boundary itself. This study has revealed that while the sedimentary record across the K/Pg boundary interval at Site 208 may not be completely continuous, it nevertheless captures a time interval that is close to the K/Pg bolide impact.

Citation: Junichiro Kuroda, Kyoko Hagino, Yoichi Usui, Paul R. Bown, Kan-Hsi Hsiung, Saburo Sakai, Ron Hackney, Saneatsu Saito, Masafumi Murayama, Takuto Ando, Naohiko Ohkouchi; Stratigraphy around the Cretaceous-Paleogene boundary in sediment cores from the Lord Howe Rise, Southwest Pacific. GSA Bulletin 2021;; 134 (5-6): 1603–1613. doi: https://doi.org/10.1130/B36112.1

Tags: Deep Sea Drilling Project - DSDP, GEOLOGY, Isotope Geochemistry, Lord Howe Rise - LHR, Marine Geoscience, Palaeontology (incl. Palynology), Sedimentology, Stratigraphy (incl. Biostratigraphy and Sequence Stratigraphy), cretaceous, sediment cores, stratigraphy
Organization: Australian Ocean Data Network
Seabed Environments and Subsurface Geology of the Capel-Faust Basins and Gifford Guyot, Eastern Australia - TAN0713 Post-survey Report

This report contains the preliminary results of Geoscience Australia marine reconnaissance survey TAN0713 to the east margin of Australia. The survey, completed as part of the Federal Government's Offshore Energy Program, was undertaken between 7 October and 22 November 2007 using the New Zealand government's research vessel Tangaroa. Leg 1 departed Wellington on 7 October and returned to Lord Howe Island on 27 October. Leg 2 departed Lord Howe Island on 28 October and returned to Wellington on 22 November.

Tags: AU-NSW, Earth Sciences, GA Publication, Published_External, Record, bathymetry, continental margins, geomorphology, mapping, marine, petroleum geology
Organization: Australian Ocean Data Network
Australian petroleum accumulations report. Gippsland Basin, Victoria

The Gippsland Basin in southeastern Victoria is Australia's major crude oil and natural gas producing province. To the end of 1986 the basin had supplied 88 per cent of Australia's cumulative crude oil production and 48 per cent of cumulative natural gas production. Crude oil and natural gas were first discovered onshore in 1924, near Lakes Entrance, Victoria. Since then over 125 onshore wells have been drilled, resulting in the discovery of one (1) subeconomic and six (6) uneconomic petroleum accumulations. More than 80 exploration and step-out wells have been drilled offshore, resulting in the discovery of eleven (11) economic, twenty-six (26) subeconomic and six (6) uneconomic petroleum accumulations.

The petroleum in the Gippsland Basin mainly occupies structural and structural/stratigraphic traps within the Oligocene, Eocene, Paleocene and Late Cretaceous marine, marginal marine and continental clastic sequences. The petroleum is believed to be of land-plant origin; crude oil results from thermal breakdown of exinite, and natural gas from thermal cracking of vitrinite and exinite.

The crude oils are generally very light and paraffinic, ranging from 40 to 60oAPI. Some heavier oils discovered at shallow depths range from 14.6 to 26.5oAPI and are thought to have been biologically degraded. The condensates range from 48 to 63oAPI. The natural gases are generally low in condensate content. Some gas reservoirs contain a high proportion of carbon dioxide.

Production of natural gas and oil commenced in 1969 and 1970 respectively. Cumulative production to 31 December 1986 was 344.66 x 106m3 of oil, 9.68 x 106m3 of condensate, 41.75 x 106m3 of LPG and 66.14 x 109m3 of sales gas. The oil and gas produced is transported from the twelve offshore production facilities (platforms) by pipeline to gas and crude oil stabilisation plant at Longford, Victoria for processing, and then to storage and distribution centres.

Estimated remaining recoverable petroleum reserves in the Gippsland Basin as at 31 December 1986 are 202.44 x 106m3 of oil, 22.44 x 106m3 of condensate, 44.89 x 106m3 of liquid petroleum gas, and 206.39 x 109m3 of sales gas.

Tags: AU-VIC, Earth Sciences, GA Publication, Published_External, Report, petroleum exploration, petroleum geology
Organization: Australian Ocean Data Network
d18O Seasonality of Planktonic Foraminifera from Southern Ocean Sediment Traps: Latitudinal Gradients and Implications for Paleoclimate Reconstructions

The oxygen isotopic record obtained from Globigerina bulloides, Globorotalia inflata, and Neogloboquadrina pachyderma (s.) was analysed for 5 sediment traps moored in the Southern Ocean and Southwest Pacific. The traps extend from Subtropical to the Polar Frontal environments, providing the first analysis of seasonal foraminiferal d18O records from these latitudes. Comparison between the foraminiferal records and various equations for predicted d18O of calcite reveals that the predicted d18O is best captured by the equations of Epstein et al. (1953) [Epstein, S., Buchsbaum, R., Lowenstam, H.A., Urey, H.C., 1953. Revised carbonate-water isotopic temperature scale. Geological Society of America Bulletin 64, 1315-1326.] and Kim and O'Neil (1997) [Kim, S.-T., O'Neil, J.R., 1997. Equilibrium and non-equilibrium oxygen isotope effects in synthetic carbonates. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 61, 3461-3475.]. The Epstein equation shows a constant offset from the -18O of G. bulloides and N. pachyderma (s.) across the full range of latitudes. The seasonal range in -18O values for these two species implies a near-surface habitat across all sites, while G. inflata most likely dwells at  50 m depth. A significant finding in this study was that offsets from predicted -18O for G. bulloides do not correlate to changes in the carbonate ion concentration. This suggests that [CO32-] in and of itself may not capture the full range of carbonate chemistry conditions in the marine system. This sediment trap deployment also reveals distinct seasonal flux patterns for each species. Comparison between flux-weighted isotopic values calculated from the sediment traps and the isotopic composition of nearby surface sediments indicates that the sedimentary records retain this seasonal imprint. At the 51Â°S site, G. bulloides has a spring flux peak while N. pachyderma (s.) is dominated by summer production.

Tags: AQ, AU, Earth Sciences, External Publication, Published_External, Scientific Journal Paper, isotopes, marine, palaeontology
Organization: Australian Ocean Data Network
Fossil Posters: Marine fossils

Six posters approximately A1 in size (31.5 x 25.59 inches) on prehistoric lifeforms. Each poster shows a sketch of the liveform, and a geological timescale showing the period during which the lifeform was found on Earth. Ideal for display in the classroom. Lifeforms are diprotodon, ammonite, glossopteris, conodont, brachiopod and a themed poster on the Devonian Pepiod.

Tags: Earth Sciences, Educational Product, Published_External
Organization: Australian Ocean Data Network
Cetacean Observations and Survey Effort During the TEMPO IN2021_V01 Voyage

This record describes cetacean line-transect observations collected during the Marine National Facility (MNF) RV Investigator research voyage IN2021_V01, titled “Quantifying krill abundance for krill monitoring and management off the Australian Antarctic Territory.” The voyage occurred from Hobart (TAS) to Hobart between 29 January and 24 March 2021 (AEST) as part of the 2021 TEMPO (Trends in Euphausiids off Mawson, Predators, and Oceanography) survey. While TEMPO’s primary objective was to estimate krill biomass and understand predator–krill overlap, dedicated cetacean observations were undertaken throughout the voyage to support monitoring of cetacean distribution and abundance.

Four trained observers conducted line-transect distance sampling from Deck 05 using naked eye and binoculars (Fujinon 7×50 and 25×150), with a data recorder on the bridge logging effort, weather, and sightings in PAMGUARD. Observations were maintained during daylight with sea state ≤6, and continued from the bridge when conditions were poor.

Combined effort included 3,612 km of formal line-transects, 153 km of informal Deck 05 effort, and 1,115 km of bridge-only effort, yielding 621 sightings of approximately 1,609 cetaceans. Humpback whales were the most frequently observed species, followed by fin whales. Non-cetacean sightings (e.g., seabirds, pinnipeds) were recorded opportunistically.

Organization: Australian Ocean Data Network
Marine Data Register (MDR)

The Marine Data Register (MDR) is a database used by the National Seabed Mapping Section at Geoscience Australia to store metadata for Australian seabed mapping data, including bathymetry and geophysical data. It includes an interface to allow external users to submit metadata to support centralised data-discovery, regardless of where the data itself is held. The MDR is a lifecycle management system which documents the acquisition, registration, processing, publication, and decommissioning of data. It powers data search in the public-facing AusSeabed Marine Data Portal and the Query Builder to facilitate the storage and discovery of publicly available and GA-held (non-publicly available) seabed datasets.

Tags: Application, AusSeabed, EARTH SCIENCES, Published_External, Resourcing Australia's Prosperity, australia's national datasets, backscatter, bathymetry, geoscience databases, seabed data, sound velocity data, sub bottom profiler
Organization: Australian Ocean Data Network