Southern Indian Ocean Seafloor Backscatter at 30m Resolution, 2017

Over 710,000 square kilometres of seafloor backscatter data were collected from June 2014 to February 2017 to support the search for missing flight MH370. Geoscience Australia provided expertise for bathymetric surveys conducted by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau. This dataset allows exploration of seafloor topography at a 30m resolution across the search and transit areas.

Use Cases

• Analyze seafloor texture and composition based on backscatter intensity values.
• Map seafloor topography for geological research based on the 30m resolution data.
• Support planning for underwater search operations based on detailed bathymetric mapping.
• Study sediment distribution and seabed features in the Southern Indian Ocean.

Strengths

• Covers over 710,000 square kilometres of the Southern Indian Ocean.
• Data was collected over a multi-year period from June 2014 to February 2017.
• Provides a detailed 30m resolution map of seafloor topography.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count and file formats are unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Data may reflect geographic bias inherent to the specific search area.

Provenance

Source

Australian Ocean Data Network, with data acquisition led by Geoscience Australia and the Australian Transport Safety Bureau.

Collection Method

Data acquired by multibeam sonar mounted on the hull of multiple vessels (GA survey references: GA-4421, GA-4422, GA-4430).

Time Range

June 2014 to February 2017

Freshness

Last updated 2026-04-10 18:31:21.735830; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Southern Indian Ocean, specifically the MH370 search area and transit lines.