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

From June 2014 to February 2017, bathymetric surveys collected over 710,000 square kilometres of sea floor data in the Southern Indian Ocean to aid the search for missing flight MH370. Geoscience Australia provided expertise, with data acquired by multibeam sonar from multiple vessels. This dataset allows exploration of seafloor topography at a 150-meter resolution, overlain on a hillshade.

Use Cases

• Modeling seafloor terrain for geological research based on the 150-meter resolution bathymetry data.
• Analyzing underwater navigation hazards based on the detailed map of sea floor topography.
• Visualizing ocean basin structures using the hillshade layer created from the bathymetry data.

Strengths

• Covers over 710,000 square kilometres of data in the search and transit areas.
• Provides a detailed map of sea floor topography at a consistent 150-meter resolution.
• Includes a derived hillshade layer 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

Australian Ocean Data Network, with data collected on behalf of the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB).

Collection Method

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

Time Range

June 2014 to February 2017

Freshness

Last updated 2026-06 27 18:57:18.884231; freshness should be verified.

Geography

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