FK200930: Northern Great Barrier Reef Bathymetry Survey 2020

Fifteen geotiff files at 4m to 32m resolution contain bathymetry data from a 47-day survey aboard the RV Falkor from September 30 to November 17, 2020. The survey, conducted by Geoscience Australia, aimed to map the seabed of the Cape York Peninsula region, the Swain slide, and reefs in the eastern Coral Sea Marine Park using Kongsberg EM302 multibeam sonar. This dataset is published with the permission of the CEO, Geoscience Australia.

Use Cases

• Modeling seabed topography and slope stability based on high-resolution bathymetry data.
• Identifying submarine canyons and drowned reef features based on the survey's primary mapping objective.
• Analyzing the extent and nature of underwater landslide debris fields, such as the Swain slide.
• Filling data gaps between existing LIDAR and multibeam surveys around steep reef flanks in marine parks.

Strengths

• Data was collected over a 47-day dedicated survey in a frontier marine region with previously little data.
• Includes backscatter and water column data from multibeam systems, suggesting additional analysis dimensions.
• Offers multiple resolution levels (4m, 9m, 10m, 16m, 32m) within the fifteen geotiff files.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• The dataset explicitly states it is not to be used for navigational purposes, limiting its application scope.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment for large-scale statistical analysis.

Provenance

Source

Geoscience Australia, collected via the Australian Ocean Data Network.

Collection Method

Geophysical mapping using Kongsberg EM302 and EM710 multibeam sonar systems aboard the RV Falkor.

Time Range

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

Freshness

Last updated 2026-06-04 08:51:49.809934; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Northern Great Barrier Reef, Cape York Peninsula, Swain Reefs, and eastern Coral Sea Marine Park.