AHO Reference Surfaces: Bathymetry Survey of Torres Strait, 0.5m Resolution

A 0.5m resolution bathymetry survey of the Torres Strait was acquired for the Australian Hydrographic Office on 12 December 2021. Separate high-resolution grids are provided for two surveyed sites in multiple vertical datums (MSL, LAT, Ellipsoid). The data was processed using QPS Qimera and exported as 32-bit floating point GeoTIFFs.

Use Cases

• Calibrating multibeam echosounder systems based on the described reference survey purpose.
• Modeling seafloor topography in the Torres Strait based on the high-resolution bathymetric grids.
• Analyzing vertical datum differences for marine navigation applications based on the availability of MSL, LAT, and Ellipsoid grids.

Strengths

• Very high 0.5-meter spatial resolution for detailed seafloor mapping.
• Data provided in three standard vertical datums (MSL, LAT, Ellipsoid) for flexibility.
• Survey conducted with a specific Kongsberg EM2040D multibeam system, suggesting controlled data acquisition.

Limitations

• Description metadata is limited; actual data quality requires manual inspection after download.
• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• The dataset explicitly states it is not to be used for navigational purposes, limiting its primary application.

Provenance

Source

Australian Hydrographic Office (AHO) via the Australian Ocean Data Network.

Collection Method

Acquired using a Kongsberg EM2040D multibeam echosounder and processed with QPS Qimera software as part of the Hydroscheme Industry Partnership Program.

Time Range

Survey acquired on 12 December 2021.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-06-05 06:17:30.652080; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Torres Strait, Queensland, Australia, specifically between Goods Island and its cardinal mark, and Tuesday Island and the Herald Patches.