Predicted Seabed Mud Content Grid for Darwin Harbour Region

A 10-meter resolution raster grid provides spatially continuous predictions of seabed mud content for the Darwin and Bynoe Harbour region. Predictions are based on 395 seabed samples and nine environmental variables derived from multibeam sonar data, with a demonstrated 62% VEcv accuracy for mud content.

Use Cases

• Model sediment transport and deposition patterns using the predicted seabed %mud grid for coastal management.
• Integrate the 10 m resolution mud content predictions with bathymetry and backscatter variables for habitat classification.
• Assess changes in seabed composition by comparing these predictions, which supersede previous versions, against new survey data.
• Calibrate hydrodynamic models using the continuous %mud predictions to improve simulation of fine sediment dynamics.

Strengths

• Predictive accuracy for mud content is very high, with a VEcv of 62%.
• Model improvements increased predictive accuracy by 198.3% compared to the commonly used IDW method.
• Data synthesis from multiple surveys conducted between 2011 and 2017 provides a consolidated baseline.

Limitations

• Absences in predictions occur where predictive variables were unavailable, creating data gaps.
• The dataset's spatial scope is limited to the Darwin and Bynoe Harbour regions in northern Australia.

Provenance

Source

Geoscience Australia (GA), Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS), and the Northern Territory Government's Department of Environment and Natural Resources (NTG-DENR).

Collection Method

Predictions derived from a compilation of multiple seabed surveys, using 395 samples and nine environmental variables from high-resolution multibeam sonar.

Time Range

Survey data collected between 2011 and 2017.

Freshness

Last updated in March 2026, though the underlying survey data ranges from 2011 to 2017.

Geography

Darwin Harbour and Bynoe Harbour region, northern Australian marine margin.