Geomorphic Features of the Antarctic Margin and Southern Ocean, 2012

Antarctic continental margin and adjoining ocean basins are mapped for geomorphic features at scales of 1:1-2 million. The dataset identifies 27 geomorphic units, with polygons digitized by hand in ArcGIS based on bathymetry from GEBCO08 and ETOPO2 satellite data. It was created by the Australian Ocean Data Network, with modifications made since original publications in 2009 and 2014.

Use Cases

• Predicting physical conditions for seafloor communities based on classified geomorphic features.
• Developing benthic bioregionalisations based on interpreted seafloor bathymetry polygons.
• Informing the design of Marine Protected Areas based on mapped shelf banks, canyons, and terraces.
• Analyzing the influence of substrate types on oceanography based on expanded feature classifications.

Strengths

• Identifies 27 distinct geomorphic units based on expert interpretation.
• Integrates key bathymetry datasets including GEBCO08 and ETOPO2.
• Features have been updated and refined since original 2009 and 2014 publications.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Data may reflect geographic bias inherent to the specific Antarctic mapping project.

Provenance

Source

Australian Ocean Data Network

Collection Method

Public bathymetry and geophysical data interpreted to map features, with polygons digitized by hand in ArcGIS.

Time Range

2012

Freshness

Last updated 2026-04-10 17:34:30.818534; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Antarctic continental margin and Southern Ocean basins.