Integrated Geophysics for Frontier Basins on Australia's Continental Margin: Successes and Challenges

Authors / CoAuthors

Abstract

As a result of work undertaken by Geoscience Australia during the Australian Government's Energy Security Program (2006-2011), data-poor and little-known frontier basins around Australia's continental margin are receiving increased scientific and exploration attention. Marine and airborne geophysical surveys conducted by Geoscience Australia along the eastern, southern and southwest margins of the Australian continent have yielded new aeromagnetic data, relatively closely-spaced ship-track magnetic and gravity data, industry-standard seismic reflection data and swath bathymetry data. Geoscience Australia's strategy for integrated geophysical interpretation and modelling includes: depth-to-basement determination using spectral and analytic-signal techniques applied to magnetic data; enhancement of aeromagnetic data to facilitate onshore-offshore geological interpretation; use of 3D forward and stochastic inverse modelling of gravity data to guide seismic interpretation of sediment thickness and basement structure; 3D inverse modelling of magnetic and gravity data to constrain the physical properties of the crust; and use of levelled ship-track magnetic and gravity data integrated with onshore data for multi-scale edge-detection analysis to guide interpretations of basement structure. However, Geoscience Australia's efforts to understand frontier basins are not without challenges. Our work highlights the lack of constraints on sub-basin crustal structure that leads to significant ambiguity when determining maximum sediment thickness and basement architecture. These deficiencies indicate a need for seismic refraction surveys that focus on sub-basin crustal structure. Refraction surveys should be complemented by airborne magnetic and gravity surveys that link onshore and offshore areas, and regional 2D seismic reflection surveys designed for deep sedimentary basins.

Product Type

nonGeographicDataset

eCat Id

71438

Contact for the resource

Custodian

Point of contact

Commonwealth of Australia (Geoscience Australia)
Cnr Jerrabomberra Ave and Hindmarsh Dr GPO Box 378
Canberra
ACT
2601
Australia

Keywords

External PublicationAbstract

( Theme )

3D model

( Theme )

continental margins

( Theme )

crustal structure

( Theme )

geophysics

( Theme )

sedimentary basins

Australian and New Zealand Standard Research Classification (ANZSRC)

Earth Sciences

Published_Internal

Publication Date

2011-01-01T00:00:00

Creation Date

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Australian Government Security ClassificationSystem

Classification - unclassified

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Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Licence

Access - restricted

Use - license

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Purpose

Maintenance Information

unknown

Topic Category

geoscientificInformation

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Unknown

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Spatial Resolution

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Associations

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