Bathymetry of the Western Margin of Western Australia

High-resolution bathymetric data collected during the underwater search for Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 in the southern Indian Ocean. Geoscience Australia gathered this data using multibeam sonar from survey vessels to map the sea floor safely and effectively. The data reveals previously unknown seabed features.

Use Cases

• Generate sea floor terrain visualizations based on high-resolution bathymetry data.
• Plan underwater search operations based on detailed sea floor mapping.
• Analyze seabed geomorphology based on newly revealed seabed features.
• Support marine navigation safety based on accurate depth measurements.

Strengths

• Data was gathered using multibeam sonar, a method for detailed, high-resolution mapping.
• The dataset reveals many seabed features for the first time.
• Survey vessels spent months at sea collecting the data.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Last updated 2026-05-14 04:53:46.733668; freshness should be verified.

Provenance

Source

Geoscience Australia

Collection Method

Collected by bathymetry survey vessels scanning the sea floor with multibeam sonar.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-05-14 04:53:46.733668.

Geography

Southern Indian Ocean, specifically the search area for Malaysia Airlines flight MH370.