Bathymetry of the Western Margin of Western Australia

Geoscience Australia provides bathymetric data collected to support the underwater search for Malaysia Airlines flight 370 in the southern Indian Ocean. The data was gathered over months by survey vessels using multibeam sonar to produce detailed, high-resolution maps of the sea floor. This computer-animated flythrough visualizes the seabed terrain in the search area.

Use Cases

• Analyze seabed topography for safe navigation and underwater operations based on the high-resolution sonar mapping described.
• Study marine geology and seafloor features in the Indian Ocean based on the newly revealed terrain data.
• Visualize underwater landscapes for educational or planning purposes based on the computer-animated flythrough.

Strengths

• Data was collected over months using multibeam sonar, suggesting a methodical survey.
• The description notes the data is detailed and high-resolution, revealing many seabed features for the first time.

Limitations

• Description metadata is limited; actual data quality requires manual inspection after download.
• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.

Provenance

Source

Australian Ocean Data Network

Collection Method

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

Freshness

Last updated 2026-06-16 17:19:30.571273; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Southern Indian Ocean, specifically the western margin of Western Australia.