This service has been created specifically for display in the National Map and the chosen symbology may not suit other mapping applications. The Australian Topographic web map service is seamless national dataset coverage for the whole of Australia. These data are best suited to graphical applications. These data may vary greatly in quality depending on the method of capture and digitising specifications in place at the time of capture. The web map service portrays detailed graphic representation of features that appear on the Earth's surface. These features include the administration boundaries from the Geoscience Australia 250K Topographic Data, including state forest and reserves.

Geoscience Australia carried out a marine survey on Carnarvon shelf (WA) in 2008 (SOL4769) to map seabed bathymetry and characterise benthic environments through colocated sampling of surface sediments and infauna, observation of benthic habitats using underwater towed video and stills photography, and measurement of ocean tides and wavegenerated currents. Data and samples were acquired using the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) Research Vessel Solander. Bathymetric mapping, sampling and video transects were completed in three survey areas that extended seaward from Ningaloo Reef to the shelf edge, including: Mandu Creek (80 sq km); Point Cloates (281 sq km), and; Gnaraloo (321 sq km). Additional bathymetric mapping (but no sampling or video) was completed between Mandu creek and Point Cloates, covering 277 sq km and north of Mandu Creek, covering 79 sq km. Two oceanographic moorings were deployed in the Point Cloates survey area. The survey also mapped and sampled an area to the northeast of the Muiron Islands covering 52 sq km. cloates_3m is an ArcINFO grid of Point Cloates of Carnarvon Shelf survey area produced from the processed EM3002 bathymetry data using the CARIS HIPS and SIPS software

Legacy product - no abstract available

In mid 2011, the Australian Government announced funding of a new four year National CO2 Infrastructure Plan (NCIP) to accelerate the identification and development of sites suitable for the long term storage of CO2 in Australia that are within reasonable distances of major energy and industrial CO2 emission sources. The NCIP program promotes pre-competitive storage exploration and provides a basis for the development of transport and storage infrastructure. The Plan follows on from recommendations of the Carbon Storage Taskforce and the National CCS Council (formerly, the National Low Emissions Coal Council). It builds on the work funded under the National Low Emissions Coal Initiative and the need for adequate storage to be identified as a national priority. Geoscience Australia is providing strategic advice in delivering the plan and will lead in the acquisition of pre-competitive data and geological studies to assess storage potential. Four offshore sedimentary basins (Bonaparte, Browse, Perth and Gippsland basins) and several onshore basins have been identified for pre-competitive data acquisition and study.

This map shows the area of the Eastern South Australia Trawl Closure within the Commonwealth Trawl Sector (also known as the South East Trawl Fishery (SETF)) of the Southern and Eastern Scalefish and Shark Fishery. Modified from GeoCat 68492 (2008) as per the Southern and Eastern Scalefish and Shark Fishery (Closures) Direction No. 1 2009 - Schedule 22. Produced for the Australian Fisheries Management Authority. Not for public sale or distribution by GA.

This study investigated the surrogacy relationships between marine physical variables and the distribution of marine infauna species and measures of benthic biodiversity across the continental shelf offshore from Ningaloo Reef, Western Australia. The three study areas are located at Mandu Creek, Point Cloates and Gnaraloo covering a combined area of 1038 km2. The physical variables include morphometric variables derived from multibeam bathymetry data, texture measures derived from acoustic backscatter data, sediment variables from 265 samples, seabed exposure estimates and geomorphic feature types. Together, these data were used to model total abundance and species richness, and 10 individual infauna species using a Random Forest Decision Tree. The key findings are: - Generally, the surrogacy relationships are stronger at Gnaraloo than at Mandu and Point Cloates. This is likely due to the fact that Gnaraloo is dominated by soft sediment and Point Cloates and Mandu have larger areas of hard substrates which preclude infauna. - At Gnaraloo, the most important physical surrogates were the sediment variables. - At Point Cloates, the most important physical surrogates were the bathymetry-derived parameters including seabed heterogeneity, morphological position, and slope. - At Mandu, the most important physical surrogates were the mixture of the bathymetry- derived parameters including morphological position and geomorphic features, and the sediment variables including gravel content, and backscatter derived texture measures. - Seabed exposure was not a useful physical surrogate for the infauna distribution in this study. The likely reasons are not clear, but could be a function of the grid resolution (150 m) of the hydrodynamic model used to generate the exposure variable relative to infaunal patterns; or that the infauna species are protected by the sediment from seabed disturbance.

The Queen Charlotte Fault (QCF) off western Canada is the northern equivalent to the San Andreas Pacific - America boundary. Geomorphology and surface processes associated with the QCF system have been revealed in unprecedented detail by recent seabed mapping surveys. The QCF bisects the continental shelf of British Columbia forming a fault-valley that is visible in multibeam sonar bathymetry data. The occurrence of the fault within a valley, and its association with what appear to be graben structures, suggest the fault may exhibit minor rifting (extension) as well as strike-slip motions in the region offshore from Haida Gwaii (Queen Charlotte Islands). Fault-valley formation, slumping and stranding of submarine canyon thalwegs are geomorphic expressions of QCF tectonism, illustrating the general applications of multibeam technology to marine geophysical research.

Geoscience Australia Marine Survey 302: Final Survey Report. by Fugro Robertson Inc, Nov. 2006 - Jan. 2007.

This dataset contains the 2009 Offshore Petroleum Acreage Release Areas. The regular release off offshore acreage is a key part of the Australian Government's strategy to encourage investmant in petroleum exploration. The 2009 release consists of 31 areas in 5 sedimentary basins.

Legacy product - no abstract available