Southern Indian Ocean Backscatter: 30m Resolution Seafloor Data from MH370 Search

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

Use Cases

• Analyzing seafloor sediment hardness and composition based on backscatter intensity values.
• Mapping seafloor topography and geological features at a 30m resolution for scientific research.
• Studying the bathymetric survey methods and data coverage used in a large-scale underwater search operation.

Strengths

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

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Data may reflect geographic and temporal bias inherent to the specific search operation.

Provenance

Source

Australian Ocean Data Network

Collection Method

Data acquired by multibeam sonar mounted on the hull of multiple vessels.

Time Range

June 2014 to February 2017

Freshness

Last updated 2026-06-27 20:00:36.544213; freshness should be verified.

Geography

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