AusBathyTopo: Northern Australia 30m Bathymetric Depth Model (2018)

Geoscience Australia Data compiled this 30-meter resolution Digital Elevation Model (DEM) of bathymetry for Northern Australia in 2018. The dataset covers a continental shelf over 400 km wide and approximately 1500 km long, including coral reefs, sand cays, and slope canyons. Source data includes multibeam surveys, airborne LiDAR, satellite-derived bathymetry, and an intertidal elevation model, all edited and standardized to WGS84/MSL datums.

Use Cases

• Modeling coastal erosion and sediment transport based on the detailed seafloor topography.
• Planning safe shipping routes and maritime infrastructure based on depth mapping of the continental shelf.
• Assessing marine habitat suitability for coral reefs based on the bathymetric data of the Sahul Banks.
• Studying paleo-drainage systems based on the dataset's inclusion of drowned ancient river valleys.

Strengths

• High 30-meter spatial resolution for detailed seafloor analysis.
• Integrates multiple data sources including multibeam surveys, LiDAR, and satellite-derived bathymetry for comprehensive coverage.
• Covers a large geographic area spanning a ~1500 km length of Northern Australia's coastline.
• Data were extensively edited as point clouds to remove noise and given consistent horizontal (WGS84) and vertical (MSL) datums.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Last updated 2026-04-30 14:54:26.104904; freshness should be verified.

Provenance

Source

Geoscience Australia Data

Collection Method

Compilation and editing of multibeam surveys, airborne LiDAR bathymetry, satellite-derived bathymetry, and an intertidal elevation model.

Time Range

2018

Freshness

Last updated 2026-04-30 14:54:26.104904.

Geography

Northern Australia, including the continental shelf extending from Western Australia and the Northern Territory into the Indian Ocean and Timor Sea.