Marine Bathymetry and Sonar Data from Geoscience Australia

Geoscience Australia's marine geospatial web service contains bathymetry, backscatter, and marine sediment data. It includes 150 m and optimal resolution bathymetry, 5 m sidescan sonar (SSS), and synthetic aperture sonar (SAS) data from phase 1 and 2 surveys for the search of Malaysian Airlines Flight MH370 in the Indian Ocean. The service allows exploration of seafloor topography through compiled multibeam sonar and other marine datasets.

Use Cases

• Model seafloor topography based on compiled multibeam sonar and bathymetry data.
• Analyze marine sediment distribution based on the described sediment data layers.
• Plan future bathymetry surveys based on the included collection priority and planning areas.
• Study backscatter characteristics for seafloor classification based on the gridded backscatter data.

Strengths

• Contains specific high-resolution data, including 5 m sidescan sonar (SSS) and synthetic aperture sonar (SAS).
• Includes data from a notable international search operation (MH370) involving the Governments of Australia, Malaysia, and China.
• Last updated 2026-03-25 18:24:53.737967.

Limitations

• Row count and dataset size are unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Data may reflect geographic bias inherent to the specific survey areas in the Indian Ocean.

Provenance

Source

Geoscience Australia Data

Collection Method

Compilation of multibeam sonar and other marine datasets acquired, including from specific government-led surveys.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-25 18:24:53.737967.

Geography

Indian Ocean (specifically areas surveyed for MH370), and other Australian marine regions.