Details and results are given of a seismic refraction survey made at the request of the Hydro-Electric Commission of Tasmania, to investigate the proposed site for a power station with penstock lines and tail race. The power station is part of the Wayatinah "A" project. The object of the survey was to determine the thickness of the alluvial gravel formation on the river flat, the weathered section of the sandstone and the dolerite, and to indicate the presence of shear zones. Three traverses parallel to the proposed penstock line, and 100 feet apart, and three cross traverses were surveyed in January and February, 1954. After completion of the original survey two additional traverses were surveyed on the location chosen for the power station, penstock lines and tail race site.

The Bureau of Mineral Resources seismic party carried out a seismic survey in the Bonaparte Gulf area of north-western Australia between 16th June and 13th October, 1956. The initial objects of the survey were to obtain regional information on the thickness of the sedimentary rocks and on the tectonics of the Bonaparte Gulf Basin, and to establish the applicability of the seismic method in the area. During the course of the survey the party was directed to transfer its attentions to obtaining some detailed information on the Spirit Hill Anticline. This latter work was carried out in response to an application by Westralian Oil Pty. Ltd., which was anxious to select sites for a test boring programme. The seismic results indicate a maximum thickness of sediments of about 20,000 feet in the Carlton Basin and 14,000 feet in the Burt Range Basin. The rocks in both these basins have been folded to a considerable extent and the reflections suggest unconformities within both basins. The seismic reflection method proved successful in indicating geological structure at depth in most of the areas tested.

Reflection and refraction seismic work was done in 1960 to complete a reconnaissance survey which was commenced in 1959 across the northern part of the Surat Basin. A reconnaissance line now extends in an easterly direction from 30 miles west of Surat to Jondaryan, and this line is also tied to the geologically well-known Roma area. Two good marker horizons have been established in the seismic work - one a strong reflector and the other a refractor in which the velocity averages 19,000 ft/sec and which may represent basement. A deep trough of sediments, possibly 20,000 ft thick at Meandarra, exists between Surat and Tara, and there is a large uplift west of Tara. The eastern margin of this large trough is 12 miles east of Tara, but sediments about 4000 ft thick probably continue to the east, at least as far as Jondaryan.

The Bureau of Mineral Resources made three seismic surveys in the Ngalia Basin, Northern Territory, during 1967 to 1969 as part of a comprehensive geological and geophysical investigation of the structure and stratigraphy of the basin. L079 is the first survey done in 1967. The project was aimed at delineating the configuration of the basin, within which outcrops are sparse, and providing information pertaining to its depositional and tectonic history. Investigation of the extent of Lower Palaeozoic sedimentation was considered to be important in assessment of the petroleum prospects of the basin. Raw data for this survey are available on request from clientservices@ga.gov.au - Quote eCat# 75658

Ice thickness measurements carried out by field parties based on Mawson during 1957-59 consisted of: (:) regional traverses in the form of closed loops extending several hundred kilometres inland from Mawson; (ii) semi-detailed traverses in the vicinity of a line of ice flow stakes about 25 Km from Mawson. The regional traverses showed that, beyond about 175 Km inland, the area surveyed is influenced strongly by the Lambert Glacier - Amery Ice Shelf system situated some 200 Km to the East. Preliminary contour plans of the ice and rock surfaces show fairly close correspondence. A sub-glacial extension of a range of mountains outcropping through the ice 80 Km to the East of the traverses was found. Work along the semi-detailed traverses close to Mawson detected sub-glacial extensions of the outcropping mountain ranges in the area. These extensions may explain the general direction of the coastline near Maws on.

During 1969, the Mundaring Geophysical Observatory collected seismic refraction data from explosions used by the Bureau of Mineral Resources No. 2 seismic party in the southwest of Western Australia. The seismic party exploded 37 charges up to 4,500 kilograms on a traverse from Balladonia through Kalgoorlie to Perth. Two mobile Willmore seismographs and permanent seismographs at Mundaring and Kalgoorlie recorded the resultant seismic waves. Raw data for this survey are available on request from clientservices@ga.gov.au - Quote eCat# 76503

At the request of West Australian Petroleum Pty. Ltd. and the Department of Mines, Western Australia, the Bureau carried out a seismic velocity survey in Rough Range No.1 Well, with the object of obtaining velocity distribution data for use in the interpretation of results of seismic refraction surveys in the area. Twenty-two shots were fired from a shot point about 1,000 feet from the well. Geophone depths in the welI ranged from 2,000 feet to 14,000 feet, usually at intervals of 500 feet, but the intervals were varied at points where there was a significant change in the stratigraphy. Recordings from 16 of the shots were used in the calculations. Results indicated that, as would be expected, the hard crystalline limestone which comprises the top 700 feet of section has a much higher velocity than the clastic limestones which underlie it. An abrupt velocity change from 7,100 ft/sec. to 12,600 ft/sec. at 3,250 feet corresponds approximately with the change from Windalia Radiolarite to Muderong shale, and also with a density change from 2.1 to 2.4. A second major velocity change from 12,600 ft/sec. to 16,500 ft/sec. at 6,800 feet also corresponds approximately with a density change from 2.5 to 2.7. An abnormal increase in velocity recorded at about 9,000 feet must be considered as very doubtful and velocities at this depth have been averaged.

In 2008, as part of the Australian Government's Onshore Energy Security Program, Geoscience Australia, acquired deep seismic reflection, wide-angle refraction, magnetotelluric (MT) and gravity data along a 250 km east-west transect that crosses several tectonic domain boundaries in the Gawler Craton and also the western boundary of the South Australian Heat Flow Anomaly (SAHFA). Geophysical datasets provide information on the crustal architecture and evolution of this part of the Archean-Proterozoic Gawler Craton. The wide-angle refraction and MT surveys were designed to supplement deep seismic reflection data, with velocity information for the upper crust, and electrical conductivity distribution from surface to the upper mantle. The seismic image of the crust from reflection data shows variable reflectivity along the line. The upper 2 s of data imaged nonreflective crust; the middle to lower part of the crust is more reflective, with strong, east-dipping reflections in the central part of the section.The 2D velocity model derived from wide-angle data shows velocity variations in the upper crust and can be constrained down to a depth of 12 km. The model consists of three layers overlying basement. The mid-crustal basement interpreted from the reflection data, at 6 km in depth in the western part of the transect and shallowing to 1 km depth in the east, is consistent with the velocity model derived from wide-angle and gravity data. MT modelling shows a relatively resistive deep crust across most of the transect, with more conductive crust at the western end, and near the centre. The enhanced conductivity in the central part of the profile is associated with a zone of high reflectivity in the seismic image. Joined interpretation of seismic data supplemented by MT, gravity and geological data improve geological understanding of this region.

The seismic survey was carried out at the request of the U.K. Ministry of Supply. The purpose of the survey was to disclose the geological structure and, if possible, the physical rock characteristics at the Maralinga testing ground. The 11,000 ft/sec layer at a depth of about 200 ft, probably a sandstone-shale formation, and the 19,000 ft/sec formation at a depth of about 1350 or 1800 ft (according to the method of computation used) were successfully mapped. The subsurface information to a depth of about 200 ft was derived mainly from shallow drill holes and up-hole shots. An experimental spread indicated a very low Poisson ratio for the sandstoneshale formation.

This report contains the results of a seismic survey on the Nerrima Dome, a major structure within the Fitzroy Basin and near its south-western boundary. The dome is situated near the Fitzroy River about 100 miles south-east of Derby in the West Kimberley district of Western Australia. The Nerrima Dome has been mapped at the surface in Permian sediments and is a complex structure. It was desired to determine if the dome existed at depth and, if not, the structure at depth, with a view to locating a site for a deep drilling test. The target beds for such a test are Devonian and/or Ordovician sediments over which the Permian sediments are believed to lie unconformably. Reflection methods were tried and proved unsuccessful and the survey was carried out using refraction methods. Although the structure underlying the dome has not been clearly shown, the refraction method has indicated that it is complex and does not conform with the domal structure at the surface. There appears to be a major unconformity at comparatively shallow depth (2000 ft). The deep structure (7000 ft) although apparently less complex than that immediately below the unconformity, also bears no obvious relation to structure at surface. The results so far obtained are reasonably conclusive in showing that no simple dome-like structure of large magnitude exists under the Nerrima Dome.