Antarctic Margin Seafloor Geomorphic Features Map

Geomorphic features of the Antarctic margin and Southern Ocean 2012 maps 27 distinct seafloor units for the Antarctic continental margin and adjoining basins at a scale of 1:1-2 million. The map was produced by the Australian Ocean Data Network using bathymetry data from GEBCO08 and ETOPO2, with interpretations updated since original publications in 2009 and 2014.

Use Cases

• Predicting benthic habitat types by classifying polygons based on the International Hydrographic Organisation seafloor feature classification.
• Modeling oceanographic influences on seafloor communities using geomorphic units identified as predictors of physical conditions.
• Delineating Marine Protected Areas in East Antarctica by analyzing the spatial distribution of shelf banks, canyons, and coastal terranes.
• Supporting bioregionalisation studies by joining geomorphic feature polygons with biological survey data.

Strengths

• Maps 27 distinct geomorphic units across a vast region.
• Integrates multiple authoritative bathymetry sources including GEBCO08 and ETOPO2.
• Features were digitized as polygons in ArcGIS, providing vector spatial data.

Limitations

• The dataset scale of 1:1-2 million may lack fine-grained detail for local studies.
• Specific row counts, sample sizes, and temporal coverage details are not provided.
• Original mapping from 2009/2014, with updates limited to feature name changes and polygon conversions.

Provenance

Source

Australian Ocean Data Network, based on work by O'Brien et al. 2009 and Post et al. 2014.

Collection Method

Interpretation of public bathymetry and geophysical data, with features digitized by hand in ArcGIS.

Time Range

null

Freshness

Last platform update was 2026-04-04, though the underlying data and methodology are from earlier publications.

Geography

Antarctic continental margin and adjoining Southern Ocean basins.