MH370 Phase 1 Bathymetry: 150m Resolution Seafloor Maps of the Southern Indian Ocean

Over 710,000 square kilometres of bathymetric data were collected from June 2014 to February 2017 to support the search for missing flight MH370. Geoscience Australia provided expertise, and the data was acquired via multibeam sonar mounted on multiple vessels. This dataset allows exploration of seafloor topography at a 150-meter resolution across the search and transit areas.

Use Cases

• Modeling seafloor terrain for geological studies based on the 150m resolution bathymetry data.
• Creating navigational aids for underwater research vehicles based on the detailed hillshade overlay.
• Analyzing historical search operation data based on the extensive survey area and transit lines mentioned.

Strengths

• Covers over 710,000 square kilometres of the Southern Indian Ocean.
• Data was collected over a nearly three-year period from June 2014 to February 2017.
• Provides a detailed 150-meter resolution map with a hillshade overlay for enhanced visualization.

Limitations

• Description metadata is limited; actual data quality requires manual inspection after download.
• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.

Provenance

Source

Geoscience Australia Data

Collection Method

Bathymetric data acquired by multibeam sonar mounted on the hull of multiple vessels.

Time Range

June 2014 to February 2017

Freshness

Last updated 2026-04-20 01:53:48.789750; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Southern Indian Ocean, specifically the MH370 search area and transit lines.