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

Geoscience Australia provided bathymetric data to support the search for missing flight MH370. The dataset contains over 710,000 square kilometres of seafloor topography data at 150-meter resolution, collected via multibeam sonar surveys from June 2014 to February 2017. It includes data from the primary search area and transit lines, overlain on a hillshade layer for visualization.

Use Cases

• Modeling seafloor terrain for geological research based on the detailed bathymetry data.
• Visualizing underwater topography using the provided hillshade layer created with specific illumination parameters.
• Analyzing survey coverage and data density across the 710,000 square kilometre area.
• Supporting marine navigation planning, though the dataset is explicitly not for navigational purposes.

Strengths

• Covers over 710,000 square kilometres of data in the search and transit areas.
• Provides a consistent 150-meter resolution for the entire dataset.
• Includes a derived hillshade layer created with specified azimuth and altitude parameters for enhanced visualization.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• The dataset is explicitly not to be used for navigational purposes, limiting its application scope.

Provenance

Source

Geoscience Australia Data

Collection Method

Data acquired by multibeam sonar mounted on the hull of multiple vessels (GA survey references: GA-4421, GA-4422, GA-4430).

Time Range

June 2014 to February 2017

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-25 18:54:55.311040; freshness should be verified.

Geography

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