Australian Seabed Mud Content Map At 0.01 Degree Resolution

Seabed mud content data provides spatially continuous predictions of sediment fraction less than 63 µm across the Australian continental Exclusive Economic Zone, including Tasmania. The dataset supersedes previous predictions with improved accuracy and is presented as a raster at 0.01 decimal degree resolution. It was produced by the Australian Ocean Data Network and last updated in April 2026.

Use Cases

• Model sediment transport patterns by analyzing spatial gradients in the mud content percentage raster.
• Assess seabed habitat suitability for benthic organisms using the continuous mud fraction data.
• Validate regional sedimentological models by comparing predicted mud content values against this baseline dataset.
• Identify areas of insufficient sample density by locating raster artefacts mentioned in the description.

Strengths

• Spatially continuous coverage of the Australian continental EEZ, including Tasmania.
• 0.01 decimal degree raster resolution provides detailed national-scale mapping.
• Supersedes previous predictions with demonstrated improvements in accuracy.

Limitations

• Contains artefacts in regions with insufficient underlying sample data.
• Excludes seabed areas surrounding Macquarie Island and several Australian external territories.
• Accuracy varies based on underlying data density and seabed complexity, limiting local-scale use.

Provenance

Source

Australian Ocean Data Network

Collection Method

Spatial interpolation and prediction from sediment samples, superseding previous models.

Time Range

Snapshot from 2011.

Freshness

Last updated April 2026.

Geography

Australian continental Exclusive Economic Zone, including seabed surrounding Tasmania.