AusBathyTopo 2024: Australia's 250m National Seabed Depth Model

1456 unique data sources, including multibeam echosounders, LiDAR, and satellite-derived bathymetry, were compiled to create this 2024 national-scale depth grid for Australia. The model results from a partnership between Geoscience Australia, the Australian Hydrographic Office, and academic institutions, representing decades of data collection and analysis. It covers a vast area from 92°E to 172°E and 8°S to 60°S, including the continent, Tasmania, and several offshore territories.

Use Cases

• Coastal habitat modeling based on the seamless land-sea transition and improved shallow depth data from satellite observations.
• Oceanographic and climate modeling based on the continental-scale bathymetric grid.
• Marine spatial planning and resource assessment based on the high-resolution seabed topography.
• Validating and improving satellite-derived bathymetry algorithms based on the integrated data sources.

Strengths

• Integrates 1456 unique data sources from diverse technologies like multibeam echosounders and LiDAR.
• Represents a significant improvement over the 2009 and 2023 national compilations.
• Incorporates innovations like satellite data from Digital Earth Australia for improved coastal modeling.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Data may reflect geographic bias, as Australia's marine jurisdiction offshore from Heard and McDonald Islands and the Australian Antarctic Territory are not included.

Provenance

Source

Collaborative partnership between Geoscience Australia, the Australian Hydrographic Office, James Cook University, and the University of Sydney.

Collection Method

Compiled from edited 3D point cloud data, given consistent WGS84 horizontal and approximate MSL vertical datums.

Time Range

2024 (replaces the 2023 grid), incorporating data representing decades of collection.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-05-20 03:33:59.967658; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Covers area from 92°E to 172°E and 8°S to 60°S, including Australian continent, Tasmania, Macquarie Island, Norfolk Island, Christmas Island, and Cocos (Keeling) Islands.