L083 Seismic refraction survey at Maralinga, Officer Basin, SA, 1955, 1956

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.