Torres Strait 30-Meter Bathymetry and Topography Digital Elevation Model

Torres Strait bathymetry and topography data provides a 30-meter resolution Digital Elevation Model for the region between Australia, Indonesia, and Papua New Guinea. The compilation integrates multibeam surveys, LiDAR, and satellite-derived bathymetry to support marine habitat mapping and hydrodynamic modeling.

Use Cases

• Model water mixing dynamics for the Great Barrier Reef using the 30 m-resolution bathymetry grid in hydrodynamic simulations.
• Map marine habitats by analyzing depth and elevation variations across the extensive reef and shoal system.
• Analyze continental slope canyon morphology from integrated deep-water multibeam survey data.
• Supplement intertidal zone mapping by integrating this DEM with the National Intertidal Digital Elevation Model (NIDEM).

Strengths

• 30-meter spatial resolution provides detailed topographic and bathymetric representation.
• Compilation integrates multiple high-quality sources including multibeam surveys, airborne LiDAR bathymetry, and satellite-derived data.
• Covers the ecologically significant Torres Strait region at the northern end of the Great Barrier Reef.

Limitations

• Dataset is explicitly not for navigational purposes, limiting its operational maritime use.
• Coverage gaps in source data were supplemented with satellite-derived bathymetry, which may have lower accuracy in complex areas.

Provenance

Source

Geoscience Australia Data, incorporating data from the CSIRO Marine National Facility and Australian Hydrographic Office.

Collection Method

Compilation and editing of point clouds from multibeam, LiDAR, singlebeam, and satellite sources into a consistent WGS84/MSL datum grid.

Time Range

null

Freshness

Last updated March 2026.

Geography

Torres Strait region, bounded by Australia, Indonesia, and Papua New Guinea.