Backscatter Grid of Lord Howe Island Shelf from 2008 Marine Survey

Geoscience Australia produced a backscatter grid covering 1034 square kilometers of the Lord Howe Island shelf. The data originates from a 2008 marine survey (SS062008) that mapped seabed bathymetry and characterized benthic environments using sediment sampling, rock coring, and underwater video. The grid was processed from EM300 backscatter data using the CMST-GA MB Process.

Use Cases

• Modeling seabed hardness and texture based on backscatter intensity values.
• Characterizing benthic habitats by correlating backscatter data with colocated sediment and infauna samples.
• Mapping sediment distribution and shelf stratigraphy in conjunction with sub-bottom profile data.
• Studying oceanographic processes by integrating the grid with data from a 6-month mooring deployment.

Strengths

• Covers a defined area of 1034 square kilometers.
• Integrates data from a dedicated 2008 marine survey with other pre-existing bathymetric data.
• Collected using the National Facility Research Vessel Southern Surveyor with specified instrumentation (EM300).

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count and specific data format details within the ZIP are unknown.
• Data may reflect geographic and temporal bias inherent to the single 2008 survey.

Provenance

Source

Geoscience Australia Data

Collection Method

Processed from EM300 backscatter data collected during the SS062008 marine survey using the CMST-GA MB Process.

Time Range

Primary data collection in 2008, with mooring data from a 6-month deployment starting in 2007.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-04-20 03:17:27.125126; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Lord Howe Island shelf, New South Wales, Australia.