The northern Perth Basin is an elongate sedimentary basin, located off the southwestern margin of Australia. The basin is prospective for petroleum resources, but is relatively under-explored, and the nature of the sediment-basement contact is relatively unknown due to a high degree of structuring and deep basement depth inhibiting seismic imagining. Accurate depth conversion of seismic interpretation is vital for use as constraints in gravity modelling and in other basin modelling tasks, but depth conversion requires good quality seismic velocity information. The number and distribution of wells with velocity information in the northern Perth Basin is poor, but there exists a large amount of seismic stacking velocities. Seismic stacking velocities are an outcome of seismic processing and are thus not a direct measurement of the speed of sound in rocks. To improve the quality of stacking velocities we propose a methodology to calibrate stacking velocities against well velocities, which is as follows: 1. Check each velocity dataset for errors 2. Modify the datum of each dataset to the sea floor 3. Convert all datasets to TWT and depth domain 4. Resample all velocity datasets to the same depth intervals 5. Cross plot stacking velocity depths near a well site with corresponding well depths 6. Fit a linear polynomial to this cross-plot (higher order polynomials were tried also), and determine calibration coefficient from the gradient of the polynomial. 7. Grid calibration coefficients 8. Multiply depths derived from stacking velocities by calibration coefficient grid An assessment of depth conversion errors relative to wells shows that this methodology improves depth conversion results to within ±50m; this depth uncertainty translates into a gravity anomaly error of about ±20 gu, which is acceptable for regional scale gravity modelling.

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 preliminary investigation was made when the Bureaut s seismic party was held up by flooded rivers, while on its way t o Christmas Creek in May, 1954. Results show that the seismic aethod is applicable to the Broome area, and that a sedimentary section of the order of 12,500 feet exists. They further show that a syncline and anticline not known from the surface geology may possibly exist at depth.

Seismic reflection traverses were surveyed across the Perth Basin at Cookernup, W.A. These traverses were planned to find the thickness and dip of the Basin sediments adjacent to the Darling Scarp and to discover any faulting or folding within them; also to determine the applicability of the seismic method as a tool for both regional and detailed investigation in this area. Seismic refraction traverses were surveyed to help in the solution of problems encountered in the interpretation of the reflection cross-sections. The survey indicated a considerable thickness of sediments about 20,000 ft, at the eastern margin of the Basin near the Darling Scarp, and suggested tectonic structure that is not indicated in surface geology, The reflection traverses indicated that sediments (presumably Lower Palaeozoic or Precambrian) lying deep in the Perth Basin may continue underneath the Darling Scarp and abut the granitic gneisses etc. of the Western Australian Shield on an overthrust fault plane. The overthrust fault, if it exists, does not reach the surface, but is covered to a depth of possibly some few hundred feet by younger sediments and also by alluvium eroded from the Darling Scarp. Some reflection and refraction shooting was done in an attempt to test this and other hypotheses, but the results crc inconclusive. Gravity results strongly suggest a normal fault, and if normal faulting is the case, the reflections from beneath the outcropping basement are possibly derived from shear zones, Some probable 'reflected refractions' were also observed. There is scope for further seismic testing but it is considered that conclusive evidence could only be provided by drilling.

Geoscience Australia acquired the Papunya Seismic Reflection Survey in 2010. The survey involved the acquisition of high resolution seismic reflection data along a single 11.5km traverse (10GA-PA1). The purpose of the survey was to obtain information on key palaeovalley characteristics for potential groundwater studies. This dataset contains seismic data and images only, a full report on the results of the palaeovalley study can be found in GA Record 2012/09. Raw data for this survey are available on request from clientservices@ga.gov.au

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.

On 12th July 1960, a velocity survey of the A.A.O. Pickanjinnie No. 1 bore was made by the Bureau of Mineral Resources. The bore had been drilled to a depth of 5218 ft and was surveyed to the bottom. The average velocities for the Mesozoic rocks and the Timbury Hills Formation are similar to those measured in the Timbury Hill No. 2 bore. However, it seems impossible to correlate individual units within the Mesozoic sequence according to their velocity.

Following a month of preliminary experimental seismic work in the latter part.of 1964 the Bureau of Mineral Resources carried out a reconnaissance seismic survey of the southern part of the Georgina Basin, mainly in the Northern Territory, from April to October 1965. In most areas reflections proved very difficult to obtain. A number of different techniques were tried, including various shot andgeophone pattern arrangements, noise testing,collinear offset shooting, airshooting and multiple coverage, but no technique was found which was generally successful in providing useful reflections. The seismic results tended to confirm gravity indications that there is a shelf area between BMR 12 Bore and Tobermory and provided no indications that there are deep Palaeozoic troughs similar to the Toko -Syncline in the survey area.

Geoscience Australia conducted the Eucla Gawler 2D Seismic Survey in 2013-14. The survey involved the acquisition of seismic reflection and gravity Data over the Eucla Basin and Gawler Craton. The survey consisted of a single line (13GA-EG1), totalling 834kms. This dataset comprises the Eastern half of the line (374km) and the entire line (834km). The project is a collaborative project jointly funded between Geoscience Australia, the Geological Survey of Western Australia, the Geological Survey of South Australia and AuScope. The primary objective of the project was to image the crustal architecture of the geology underlying the Eucla Basin and its relationship to the Gawler Craton to the east and the Yilgarn Craton to the west. As well as establishing the subsurface extent of the Eucla Basin and look for large structural zones that may have provided fluid pathways for mineralisation. Raw data for this survey are available on request from clientservices@ga.gov.au

An experimental seismic survey using both refraction and reflection techniques was carried out in April, 1958, near Morwell in the Latrobe Valley at the request of the State Electricity Commission of Victoria. The object of the survey was to find if the method was of value in mapping the structure of the coal measures of the Latrobe Valley and in providing information on the depth to and type of basement underlying the coal measures. Work was concentrated in an area south-west of Morwell on the southern limb of the Latrobe Syncline. The results obtained indicate that the seismic method may be applied successfully to geological problems of the Latrobe Valley and may provide useful control data for the interpretation of surface geological and gravity mapping. Various interpretations of the results are discussed and although some ambiguity exists, it might be overcome when more work is done, particularly if an accurate knowledge of the velocities of the coal easures is obtained. It has been possible by means of refraction work to map the extension of the basalt which crops out on the southern margin of the Latrobe Syncline beneath the coal measures with reasonable certainty.