Australia's Extended Continental Shelf and Maritime Zones

One map from a 27-map series depicts Australia's extended continental shelf approved by the UN Commission in April 2008. The A0-sized PDF combines bathymetric data from a 2009 Geoscience Australia grid and a 1997 Smith and Sandwell grid. The map was published by the Australian Ocean Data Network.

Use Cases

• Analyze the spatial extent of Australia's extended continental shelf boundary for legal and policy research.
• Compare maritime zone boundaries (e.g., Exclusive Economic Zone) against the bathymetric background for oceanographic studies.
• Use the high-resolution bathymetric layer derived from the 2009 GA grid for seafloor terrain modeling off South Australia.

Strengths

• Part of a standardized 27-map national series ensuring consistent jurisdictional depiction.
• Integrates bathymetric data from two authoritative sources (Geoscience Australia 2009, Smith and Sandwell 1997).

Limitations

• Data is static and based on a 2008 UNCLOS submission, potentially missing recent boundary adjustments.
• Underlying bathymetric grids are from 1997 and 2009, which may not reflect current seafloor measurements.

Provenance

Source

Australian Ocean Data Network.

Collection Method

Cartographic compilation for the 'Australia's Maritime Jurisdiction Map Series' (GeoCat 71789).

Time Range

Maritime boundaries reflect the April 2008 Commission approval; background imagery circa 1997-2009.

Freshness

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Geography

Maritime jurisdiction zones off the coast of South Australia.