Rig Seismic Geophysical and Geological Research Cruise off Western and Southeastern Tasmania

Created 11/01/2026

Updated 11/01/2026

R/V Rig Seismic carried out Bureau of Mineral Resources (BMR) research cruise 78 on the Tasmanian margin from 24 March to 18 April, 1988. The first half of the cruise was devoted to multichannel seismic surveying - 1750 km on the west Tasmanian margin and 265 km off southeast Tasmania. The west Tasmanian seismic survey examined the King Island and Strahan Sub-basins of the Sorell Basin, tested the structure of the continental margin from the continental shelf to undoubted oceaniccrust, and provided a key seismic tie through the thick sedimentary basin on the west Tasmanian continental slope. The southeast Tasmanian seismic survey examined the Palaeozoic sequences near Bruny Island on which oil seeps are known.

The latter half of the cruise was devoted to geological sampling on the west Tasmanian margin. Twelve stations were designed to sample basement and older outcropping sequences (Mesozoic and Palaeogene) to provide control for seismic interpretation. Younger sequences were cored at 37 stations in order firstly, to establish amodel for Cainozoic sedimentation, and secondly, to allow the analysis of surface sediments to define areas of anomalous concentrations of thermogenic gas. Near-surface thermal gradient and thermal conductivity were measured at 10 stations as a means of establishing thermal flux.

The work will enable us to better define the geology of the basins, and especially their history of rifting, their stratigraphy, and their petroleum potential.

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Additional Info

Field Value
Title Rig Seismic Geophysical and Geological Research Cruise off Western and Southeastern Tasmania
Language eng
Licence Not Specified
Landing Page https://data.gov.au/data/dataset/15cf67f1-df92-4802-9d48-4b7ef3be8508
Contact Point
Australian Ocean Data Network
clientservices@ga.gov.au
Reference Period 20/04/2018
Geospatial Coverage Australia
Data Portal Australian Oceans Data Network

Data Source

This dataset was originally found on Australian Oceans Data Network "Rig Seismic Geophysical and Geological Research Cruise off Western and Southeastern Tasmania". Please visit the source to access the original metadata of the dataset:
https://catalogue.aodn.org.au/geonetwork/srv/eng/csw/dataset/rig-seismic-geophysical-and-geological-research-cruise-off-western-and-southeastern-tasmania2