We report four lessons from experience gained in applying the multiple-mode spatially-averaged coherency method (MMSPAC) at 25 sites in Newcastle (NSW) for the purpose of establishing shear-wave velocity profiles as part of an earthquake hazard study. The MMSPAC technique is logistically viable for use in urban and suburban areas, both on grass sports fields and parks, and on footpaths and roads. A set of seven earthquake-type recording systems and team of three personnel is sufficient to survey three sites per day. The uncertainties of local noise sources from adjacent road traffic or from service pipes contribute to loss of low-frequency SPAC data in a way which is difficult to predict in survey design. Coherencies between individual pairs of sensors should be studied as a quality-control measure with a view to excluding noise-affected sensors prior to interpretation; useful data can still be obtained at a site where one sensor is excluded. The combined use of both SPAC data and HVSR data in inversion and interpretation is a requirement in order to make effective use of low frequency data (typically 0.5 to 2 Hz at these sites) and thus resolve shear-wave velocities in basement rock below 20 to 50 m of soft transported sediments.

The Bureau of Mineral Resources, Geology and Geophysics (BMR) did a reconnaissance seismic survey in the central portion of the Bowen Basin in November, 1960. The objectives of the survey were to determine the structure of the Basin and the thickness of sediments by traversing from the western margin of the Basin near Anakie to the eastern margin east of Duaringa. Two other seismic surveys conducted in this Bowen Basin are Cooroorah Anticline seismic survey in 1959 (survey L037) and 254km seismic survey near the towns of Duaringa and Blackwater (survey L129).

Processed Stacked and Migrated SEG-Y seismic data and section images for the Youanmi Deep Crustal Seismic Survey. This survey was conducted under a National Geoscience Agreement with the Western Australia Geological Survey. Funding was through the Onshore Energy Security Program and Western Australia's Exploration Incentive Scheme. The objective of the survey was to image the northwest Yilgarn Craton to the Ida Fault crossing the Meekatharra structural zone, a focus of gold mineralization. Data are supplied as SEG-Y files, TIFF and PDF images. Raw data for this survey are available on request from clientservices@ga.gov.au

TBA

We report four lessons from experience gained in applying the multiple-mode spatially-averaged coherency method (MMSPAC) at 25 sites in Newcastle (NSW) for the purpose of establishing shear-wave velocity profiles as part of an earthquake hazard study. The MMSPAC technique is logistically viable for use in urban and suburban areas, both on grass sports fields and parks, and on footpaths and roads. A set of seven earthquake-type recording systems and team of three personnel is sufficient to survey three sites per day. The uncertainties of local noise sources from adjacent road traffic or from service pipes contribute to loss of low-frequency SPAC data in a way which is difficult to predict in survey design. Coherencies between individual pairs of sensors should be studied as a quality-control measure with a view to excluding noise-affected sensors prior to interpretation; useful data can still be obtained at a site where one sensor is excluded. The combined use of both SPAC data and HVSR data in inversion and interpretation is a requirement in order to make effective use of low frequency data (typically 0.5 to 2 Hz at these sites) and thus resolve shear-wave velocities in basement rock below 20 to 50 m of soft transported sediments.

No abstract available

The Bureau of Mineral Resources, Geology and Geophysics (BMR) conducted a seismic survey in the Denison Trough, in the western part of the Bowen Basin in Queensland in 1979. The survey continued work commenced in 1978 aimed at delineating the configuration of the trough and providing stratigraphic information from the Permian sequence which, in conjunction with current Geological Survey of Queensland stratigraphic studies, would enable reliable stratigraphic correlations to be made throughout the trough. The survey obtained 265 km of digitally recorded mainly six-fold Common-Depth-Point seismic reflection data.

Between October 2008 and February 2009, Geoscience Australia undertook two major surveys off the coast of Western Australia. Areas of interest included the Mentelle and northern Perth Basins, the Southern Carnarvon Basin, the sourthern Exmouth Sub-basin (Northern arnarvon Basin) and the Wallaby Plateau. These surveys collected a range of data, including 7300 kilometers of industry-standard seismic reflection data and 43000 line kilometers of gravity and magnetic data. In addition to the new data collected, Geoscience Australia has reprocessed 11700 line kilometres of open file 2D seismic data that exists within the survey area. This data is available for purchase as part of the Southwest Margin Data Package.

Prior to the development of Australian-specific magnitude formulae, the 1935 magnitude corrections by Charles Richter – originally developed for southern California – was almost exclusively used to calculate earthquake magnitudes throughout Australia prior to the 1990s. Due to the difference in ground-motion attenuation between southern California and much of Australia, many historical earthquake magnitudes are likely to be overestimated in the Australian earthquake catalogue. A method has been developed that corrects local magnitudes using the difference between the original (inappropriate) magnitude corrections and the Australian-specific corrections at a distance determined by the nearest recording station likely to have recorded the earthquake. These corrections have reduced the rates of local magnitudes of 4.5 in the historical catalogue by about 30% since 1900, while the number of magnitude 5.0 earthquakes has reduced by about 60% in the same time period. The reduction in the number of moderate-to-large-magnitude earthquakes over the instrumental period yields long-term earthquake rates that are more consistent with present-day rates, since the development of Australian-specific magnitude formulae. The adjustment of historical earthquake magnitudes is important for seismic hazard assessments, which assume a Poisson distribution of earthquakes in space and time.

No abstract available