Marine Geospatial Data for Seafloor Topography and MH370 Search

Geoscience Australia's marine geospatial web service contains bathymetry, backscatter, and derived seafloor data. It includes 150 m and optimal resolution bathymetry, 5 m sidescan sonar, and synthetic aperture sonar data collected during the multinational search for Malaysian Airlines Flight MH370 in the Indian Ocean. The service is provided by the Australian Ocean Data Network and was last updated on 2026-04-10.

Use Cases

• Model seafloor topography based on compiled multibeam sonar and bathymetry data.
• Analyze marine sediment distribution based on the marine sediment data layers.
• Plan future bathymetry surveys based on the bathymetry collection priority and planning areas.
• Study high-resolution seafloor features based on the 5 m sidescan sonar and synthetic aperture sonar data from the MH370 search.

Strengths

• Includes data from a specific, high-profile multinational survey (MH370 search in the Indian Ocean).
• Contains multiple data types: bathymetry, backscatter, sediment data, and derived products.
• Last updated on 2026-04-10, suggesting recent maintenance.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count and dataset size are unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Data is delivered via a Web Feature Service (WFS), which may require specific geospatial tools to access and process.

Provenance

Source

Geoscience Australia, via the Australian Ocean Data Network.

Collection Method

Compilation of multibeam sonar and other marine datasets acquired from government surveys.

Time Range

Includes data from Phase 1 and 2 of the MH370 search (circa 2014 onward).

Freshness

Last updated 2026-04-10 17:34:20.481566

Geography

Indian Ocean, with a focus on areas surveyed for Malaysian Airlines Flight MH370.