Australian Bathymetry and Topography Grid

Geoscience Australia's 2009 bathymetry and topography grid covers Australia's landmass and adjoining Exclusive Economic Zone. The dataset merges multibeam, single beam, and satellite-derived bathymetry with onshore topographic data from multiple sources. Its 0.0025-degree resolution is supported where direct observations are dense, supplemented by coarser ETOPO and SRTM data elsewhere.

Use Cases

• Modeling ocean currents and tidal flows based on seabed elevation data.
• Planning submarine cable or pipeline routes using detailed bathymetric charts.
• Coastal erosion and flood risk assessment by integrating onshore topography with nearshore bathymetry.
• Geological research on continental shelf morphology using compiled multibeam survey data.

Strengths

• Integrates direct observations from multibeam and single beam surveys compiled by a national geological survey.
• Provides high-resolution (0.0025-degree) data where sounding density is sufficient.
• Synthesizes multiple authoritative sources including Geoscience Australia grids and global models like ETOPO and SRTM.

Limitations

• Metadata for row count, file size, license, and specific columns is unavailable across all platform entries.
• The bathymetry data is from 2009, which may not reflect recent seafloor changes.
• Data excludes Australia's marine jurisdiction offshore from the Territory of Heard and McDonald Islands and the Australian Antarctic Territory.

Provenance

Source

Geoscience Australia

Collection Method

Compiled from multibeam, single beam, digitized chart, and satellite-derived bathymetry sources; onshore topography from revised national and New Zealand grids and SRTM DEM.

Time Range

Bathymetry data compiled in 2009, referencing source grids from 1997 to 2008.

Freshness

Last updated metadata dates range from 2026-03-07 to 2026-04-20, but the underlying bathymetry data is from 2009.

Geography

Australia's landmass and adjoining Exclusive Economic Zone, excluding some offshore territories.