Australian Topography and Bathymetry Grid at 0.0025-Degree Resolution

Geoscience Australia compiled this bathymetry and topography grid covering Australia and its Exclusive Economic Zone. The 2009 bathymetry data integrates multibeam, single beam, and satellite-derived sources, while onshore topography uses a revised 0.0025-degree grid. The service excludes marine areas near Heard and McDonald Islands and the Australian Antarctic Territory.

Use Cases

• Model coastal inundation by integrating the 0.0025 dd topography grid with bathymetry data for sea-level rise simulations.
• Analyze seabed morphology using the compiled multibeam and single beam bathymetry data for geological feature identification.
• Create regional elevation models by merging the onshore 0.0025dd topography grid with offshore ETOPO satellite-derived bathymetry.

Strengths

• Data integrates multiple authoritative sources including Geoscience Australia's own grids and global models like ETOPO.
• Provides high 0.0025-degree resolution where direct bathymetric observations like swath data are sufficiently dense.

Limitations

• Bathymetric coverage is inconsistent; offshore areas beyond the shelf rely on lower-resolution (1-2 arc minute) satellite-derived data.
• The core bathymetry data is from 2009, which may not reflect recent seafloor changes.

Provenance

Source

Geoscience Australia

Collection Method

Compiled from multibeam, single beam, digitised chart data, and satellite-derived bathymetry (ETOPO); onshore data from revised national and New Zealand topography grids and SRTM DEM.

Time Range

Bathymetry data compiled in 2009; referenced topography grids from 2008.

Freshness

Metadata indicates a last update in 2026, but the underlying bathymetry and topography grids are from 2008-2009.

Geography

Australia and adjoining Australian Exclusive Economic Zone, excluding marine jurisdictions offshore from Heard and McDonald Islands and the Australian Antarctic Territory.