Marine Geospatial Data Including MH370 Search Bathymetry and Sonar Surveys

Geoscience Australia's web service compiles multibeam sonar and other marine datasets for seafloor exploration. It includes bathymetry, backscatter, sediment data, and specific high-resolution data from the multinational search for Malaysian Airlines Flight MH370 in the Indian Ocean. The service was last updated on June 4, 2026.

Use Cases

• Modeling seafloor topography based on compiled multibeam sonar and bathymetry data.
• Analyzing marine sediment distribution using the described sediment data layers.
• Planning marine surveys based on bathymetry coverage information and collection priority areas.
• Studying backscatter characteristics from gridded backscatter data for habitat mapping.
• Investigating high-resolution seafloor features using the 5m sidescan sonar and synthetic aperture sonar data from the MH370 search.

Strengths

• Includes data from a specific, high-profile international search operation (MH370).
• Contains multiple derived marine data products like gridded bathymetry and backscatter.
• Offers data at multiple resolutions, including 150m and optimal resolution bathymetry.

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 survey areas covered.

Provenance

Source

Geoscience Australia, via the Australian Ocean Data Network.

Collection Method

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

Freshness

Last updated 2026-06-04 07:21:57.751416; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Includes data from the Indian Ocean, specifically from areas surveyed for MH370.