RV Investigator IN2026_V01: Antarctic Seafloor Bathymetry and Watercolumn Backscatter

Multibeam echosounder data collected during the RV Investigator voyage IN2026_V01, titled 'Cook Ice Ecosystems and Sediments (COOKIES).' The voyage took place between January 02, 2026 and February 25, 2026, departing from and returning to Hobart. The Kongsberg EM712 multibeam echosounder was used to acquire seafloor bathymetry, backscatter, and watercolumn backscatter information around Antarctica.

Use Cases

• Map seafloor topography based on bathymetry data collected by the Kongsberg EM712.
• Analyze seafloor composition based on backscatter intensity data.
• Study water column scattering layers based on watercolumn backscatter data.
• Conduct geospatial analysis of Antarctic marine ecosystems based on the described survey area.

Strengths

• Data volume is substantial with 158 files totalling 15.7 GB of raw bathymetry/backscatter data and 158 files totalling 30.1 GB of watercolumn data.
• Data has been processed with motion and position corrections, outlier removal, and GPS tide application using the EGM2008 model.
• The echosounder's technical specifications are provided, including a nominal frequency range of 40 to 100 kHz and angular resolution.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• The dataset consists of raw instrument files (.kmall, .kmwcd) and processed visualizations (PNG, HTML), which may require specialized software for direct analysis.

Provenance

Source

Australian Ocean Data Network via data_gov_au.

Collection Method

Acquired using a Kongsberg EM712 multibeam echosounder aboard the RV Investigator.

Time Range

January 02, 2026 to February 25, 2026.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-06-16 17:44:56.696039

Geography

Survey area around Antarctica, departing from and returning to Hobart.