Lord Howe Rise Bathymetry Grids from 2016 Seismic Survey

Bathymetry grids detail the seafloor topography of the Lord Howe Rise, a submerged plateau. The dataset covers 62,360 square kilometers with eight grids at 50 to 80-meter resolution. Geoscience Australia and JAMSTEC produced the data from a shipborne survey conducted between March and May 2016.

Use Cases

• Selecting deep-sea drilling sites for the International Ocean Discovery Program by analyzing bathymetry grid resolution and depth variations.
• Modeling the Cretaceous Eastern Gondwana Margin using the 62,360 km2 coverage area and 1000-3000m depth range of the Lord Howe Rise.
• Assessing seabed geomorphology for marine jurisdiction studies with the 50-80m resolution multibeam bathymetry grids.
• Planning future geotechnical surveys by correlating 2016 seismic survey bathymetry data with subsequent site assessments.

Strengths

• Covers a large, defined area of 62,360 square kilometers.
• Provides eight bathymetry grids with consistent 50 to 80-meter resolution.
• Data was collected by authoritative agencies (Geoscience Australia and JAMSTEC) using a shipborne 12 KHz sonar system.

Limitations

• Specific row counts, column details, and sample data are unavailable for assessment.
• The dataset is explicitly not to be used for navigational purposes, limiting its application scope.
• Temporal coverage is limited to a two-month survey in 2016.

Provenance

Source

Geoscience Australia and the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC).

Collection Method

Multibeam bathymetry data acquired via a shipborne 12 KHz sonar system during the RV Kairei survey KR1605.

Time Range

Survey conducted from 17 March to 16 May 2016.

Freshness

Last metadata update was in 2026, but the underlying data collection occurred in 2016.

Geography

Lord Howe Rise, a submerged plateau extending from southwest New Caledonia to west of New Zealand, within Australian marine jurisdiction.