FK200930: Northern Great Barrier Reef Bathymetry at 4-32m Resolution

A 47-day survey from September 30 to November 17, 2020 collected bathymetry data in the Northern Great Barrier Reef using the RV Falkor's Kongsberg EM302 multibeam sonar system. The dataset, published by Geoscience Australia, includes fifteen geotiff files at resolutions from 4 to 32 meters, covering submarine canyons, drowned reefs, and underwater landslides. The primary objective was to map the frontier marine region of the Cape York Peninsula, including the Swain slide and reefs in the eastern Coral Sea Marine Park.

Use Cases

• Modeling submarine landslide dynamics based on the mapped Swain slide headscarp and debris field.
• Identifying and classifying seabed features like canyons and drowned reefs based on high-resolution bathymetry.
• Filling data gaps for marine park management based on mapping around steep reef slopes in the Coral Sea.
• Analyzing continental shelf and slope geomorphology based on mapping of the Cape York Peninsula region.

Strengths

• Data was collected over a 47-day dedicated survey in a frontier region with previously very little multibeam data.
• Includes backscatter and water column data from the multibeam systems, suggesting additional analysis dimensions.
• Files are provided at multiple resolutions (4m, 9m, 10m, 16m, 32m), allowing for scale-appropriate analysis.

Limitations

• Description metadata is limited; actual data quality and coverage require manual inspection after download.
• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics and data structure must be inferred from the downloaded files.
• The dataset explicitly states it is not to be used for navigational purposes, limiting its application scope.

Provenance

Source

Geoscience Australia Data

Collection Method

Geophysical mapping using Kongsberg EM302 and EM710 multibeam sonar systems on the RV Falkor, typically operated in Dual Swath mode.

Time Range

Survey conducted from September 30, 2020 to November 17, 2020.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-04-20 01:06:54.943735; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Northern Great Barrier Reef, specifically the Cape York Peninsula region, Swain Reefs, and reefs in the eastern Coral Sea Marine Park (Saumarez, Frederick, Kenn, Wreck, Cato).