Historical and modern seabed mapping efforts around Australia, documented from the 1960s onward. The dataset, hosted by the Australian Ocean Data Network, describes surveys using systems like SeaBeam, GLORIA, SeaMarc II, HMR1, and Simrad EM12D. It notes that less than 5% of Australia's offshore jurisdiction had been mapped at the time of the paper.
Use Cases
- Analyzing seabed geological evolution and petroleum potential based on high-resolution contour maps and imagery.
- Targeting seabed sampling programs using detailed bathymetry and acoustic imagery data.
- Supporting fisheries management and biological research with detailed maps of the seafloor.
- Informing maritime jurisdictional claims under UN Law of the Sea provisions based on systematic mapping of the legal Continental Shelf.
Strengths
- Describes surveys covering a vast area, including a mapped region three times the size of Tasmania.
- References multiple modern and historical sonar systems (e.g., SeaBeam, GLORIA, Simrad EM12D) providing varied data sources.
- Mentions specific, notable survey locations including the Great Barrier Reef, Macquarie Ridge, and Bass Strait.
Limitations
- Description metadata is limited; actual data quality requires manual inspection after download.
- Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
- Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
Provenance
- Source
- Australian Ocean Data Network
- Collection Method
- Swath-mapping using multibeam and sidescan sonar systems on various research vessels.
- Time Range
- Surveys described from the 1960s to at least 1997.
- Freshness
- Last updated 2026-06-23 04:28:22.092261; freshness should be verified.
- Geography
- Australian offshore jurisdiction, including the Exclusive Economic Zone and legal Continental Shelf.