FK200930: Northern Great Barrier Reef Bathymetry from RV Falkor Survey (2020)

Fifteen geotiff files contain processed multibeam sonar bathymetry data from a 47-day marine survey aboard the RV Falkor. The survey, conducted from September 30 to November 17, 2020, mapped the seafloor of the northern Great Barrier Reef, Cape York Peninsula, and the eastern Coral Sea Marine Park. This dataset is published with permission from Geoscience Australia.

Use Cases

• Mapping submarine canyon inventory based on the survey's primary objective to reveal seabed features.
• Analyzing the extent and nature of the Swain Slide debris field based on the secondary mapping objective.
• Filling bathymetric data gaps between LIDAR and existing multibeam data around Coral Sea reefs as described.
• Studying seabed features like drowned reefs using the 4m to 32m resolution geotiff data.

Strengths

• Data was collected over a 47-day dedicated survey voyage using Kongsberg EM302 multibeam sonar.
• Covers a frontier marine region with previously very little multibeam data, as stated in the description.
• Includes backscatter and water column data collected alongside the bathymetry.

Limitations

• Dataset contains only EM302 data; EM710 data from the same survey will be released separately in the future.
• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment for certain analyses.

Provenance

Source

Australian Ocean Data Network, published with permission of Geoscience Australia.

Collection Method

Geophysical mapping using Kongsberg EM302 multibeam sonar system aboard the RV Falkor.

Time Range

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

Freshness

Last updated 2026-06-27 20:19:45.239206; freshness should be verified.

Geography

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