RV Investigator Voyage IN2026_V01: Antarctic Seafloor Multibeam Sonar Data

11.7 GB of raw multibeam echosounder data collected aboard the RV Investigator during the 55-day 'COOKIES' voyage in early 2026. The EM2040MK2 system operated at 400 kHz in dual swath mode, providing bathymetry, backscatter, and 58.1 GB of watercolumn data. Data were processed with sound velocity profiles, GPS tide corrections, and outlier removal by the Australian Ocean Data Network.

Use Cases

• Modeling Antarctic seafloor bathymetry based on processed multibeam data.
• Analyzing acoustic backscatter strength for seabed composition classification.
• Investigating water column acoustic properties using the .kmwcd format data.
• Calibrating sonar systems using the detailed acquisition parameters (0.4°x0.7° resolution, 200-700 kHz range).

Strengths

• Data volume is precisely quantified: 11.7 GB of raw bathymetry/backscatter and 58.1 GB of watercolumn data.
• Processing steps are documented, including motion correction, GPS tide application using the EGM2008 model, and outlier removal.
• Specific technical parameters are provided, such as the EM2040MK2's 400 kHz nominal frequency and dual swath mode.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment for certain modeling tasks.

Provenance

Source

Australian Ocean Data Network via data_gov_au.

Collection Method

Collected via EM2040MKII multibeam echosounder aboard RV Investigator.

Time Range

January 02, 2026 to February 25, 2026 (AEST).

Freshness

Last updated 2026-06-23 05:35:50.671288; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Voyage IN2026_V01 ('Cook Ice Ecosystems and Sediments') departing from and returning to Hobart, likely in Antarctic waters.