Australian Seabed and Land Elevation Grid

A geospatial grid provides elevation data for Australia's landmass and seabed within its Exclusive Economic Zone. The dataset combines bathymetric observations from 2009 with topographic data from sources like the 2008 revised Australian grid and 90m SRTM DEM. It was compiled by Geoscience Australia and is served via the Australian Ocean Data Network.

Use Cases

• Modeling coastal erosion and inundation by analyzing the high-resolution 0.0025-degree topographic and bathymetric interface.
• Planning marine infrastructure routes using the compiled multibeam and single beam bathymetry data for the Australian shelf.
• Creating regional geological models by integrating the onshore topography grid with offshore ETOPO satellite-derived bathymetry in deeper waters.
• Studying seabed morphology by examining the grid resolution variations based on the density of direct bathymetric observations.

Strengths

• Integrates multiple authoritative sources including a 2009 bathymetry compilation and a 2008 revised topography grid.
• Provides high 0.0025-degree resolution where direct bathymetric observations like swath data are sufficiently dense.

Limitations

• Spatial resolution is variable, falling back to lower-resolution 1-2 arc-minute ETOPO data in areas lacking direct soundings.
• Excludes data from Australia's marine jurisdiction offshore from the Territory of Heard and McDonald Islands and the Australian Antarctic Territory.
• Core bathymetric observations are from 2009, which may not reflect recent seafloor changes.

Provenance

Source

Geoscience Australia, Australian Ocean Data Network.

Collection Method

Compiled from multibeam, single beam, digitised chart data, satellite-derived bathymetry (ETOPO), and national topography grids.

Time Range

Bathymetry data compiled from 2009; topographic data from 2008 sources.

Freshness

Metadata last updated April 2026, though core observational data is from 2009.

Geography

Topography of Australia and bathymetry of the adjoining Australian Exclusive Economic Zone.