RV Investigator Voyage IN2018_V04: Southern Ocean Bathymetry and Watercolumn Backscatter

23 raw files totaling 11.1 GB of multibeam echosounder data were collected during a 28-day voyage in the Southern Ocean. The Kongsberg EM710 MKII system acquired seafloor bathymetry, backscatter, and watercolumn backscatter data at frequencies from 40 to 100 kHz. Processed data grids are available in GeoTIFF format alongside raw and ASCII files.

Use Cases

• Map seafloor bathymetry based on processed GeoTIFF grids mentioned in the description
• Analyze seafloor composition based on backscatter information collected by the echosounder
• Study water column acoustic properties based on watercolumn backscatter data stored in *.wcd format
• Correct and validate sonar data based on applied sound velocity profiles and motion/position corrections

Strengths

• Data volume is precisely quantified as 23 files totaling 11.1 GB
• The echosounder's technical specifications are provided, including a nominal frequency range of 40 to 100 kHz
• Multiple processing stages are documented, with raw, processed line, and gridded data available in different formats

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download
• The description notes that tide corrections '[were/were not] applied', indicating potential uncertainty in vertical datum

Provenance

Source

Australian Ocean Data Network

Collection Method

Data were acquired using a Kongsberg EM710 MKII multibeam echosounder on the RV Investigator research vessel.

Time Range

Voyage departed Hobart on 11 September 2018 and returned on 8 October 2018.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-06-23 03:12:21.152818; freshness should be verified

Geography

Southern extension of the East Australian Current, likely in the Southern Ocean region south of Australia.