Lord Howe Rise 2D Seismic Survey 2016 (GA-0354/ KR1605) Bathymetry grids

Abstract

This dataset contains bathymetry products from the Lord Howe Rise 2D Seismic Survey undertaken by Geoscience Australia during the period from 17 March to 16 May 2016 onboard the RV Kairei (Survey KR1605). The lord Howe Rise (LHR) is a submerged Plateau that extends from Southwest New Caledonia to the west of New Zealand. Much of the LHR lies within the Australian marine jurisdiction at water depth of 1000-3000m. The Commonwealth conducted a scientific seismic survey over the Lord Howe Rise in 2016 in collaboration with the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC) and contributes to a larger research proposal submitted to the International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP) that would examine the first deep stratigraphic record for the Cretaceous Eastern Gondwana Margin. the IODP proposal is to drill a deep stratigraphic well to a depth of 2-3 km below the seabed in 2020, but before that can happen Geoscience Australia (GA) and JAMSTEC conducted a site assessments, involving a seismic survey in 2016 and a geotechnical survey in 2017, to decide on the drilling sites. Multibeam bathymetry data was acquired during the survey with an area coverage of 62,360 km2. Eight bathymetry grids of 50 to 80m resolution were produced using the shipborne 12 KHz sonar system.