Oceanic Shoals Marine Reserve Interpreted Geomorphic Map

The Oceanic Shoals Commonwealth Marine Reserve in the Timor Sea was surveyed between 12 September and 5 October 2012. This dataset contains an interpreted geomorphic map produced from multibeam bathymetry and backscatter grids at 2-meter resolution. The map was created by Geoscience Australia and partners, identifying six geomorphic units such as banks, depressions, and terraces.

Use Cases

• Classify seabed habitats based on interpreted geomorphic units like banks and terraces.
• Model marine geomorphology based on high-resolution bathymetric derivatives.
• Support marine spatial planning for the Commonwealth Marine Reserve based on mapped geomorphic features.
• Conduct benthic habitat research based on the relationship between geomorphic units and biological communities.

Strengths

• Multibeam bathymetry and backscatter grids at 2-meter resolution provide detailed spatial data.
• Six distinct geomorphic units (bank, depression, mound, plain, scarp, terrace) are identified and mapped.
• Mapping methodology is documented in a published Geoscience Australia Record (2013/38).

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Data may reflect geographic bias inherent to the single survey area.

Provenance

Source

Geoscience Australia Data

Collection Method

Manual digitization in ArcGIS using spatial analyst and 3D analyst toolboxes, based on multibeam survey data.

Time Range

Survey conducted 12 September - 5 October 2012.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-05-14 05:04:07.264645; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Oceanic Shoals Commonwealth Marine Reserve, Timor Sea.