Southern Indian Ocean MH370 Search Area Backscatter Data 30m 2017

Over 710,000 square kilometres of seafloor backscatter data were collected to support the search for missing Malaysian Airlines flight MH370. Geoscience Australia provided expertise for bathymetric surveys conducted from June 2014 to February 2017 using hull-mounted multibeam sonar. This dataset provides a 30-meter resolution view of seafloor topography across the search and transit areas in the Southern Indian Ocean.

Use Cases

• Map seafloor hardness and sediment type based on backscatter intensity data.
• Analyze underwater topography for geological feature identification based on the 30m resolution grid.
• Support marine habitat modeling by correlating backscatter data with potential biological substrates.
• Aid in planning future underwater search or survey missions based on the detailed seafloor map.

Strengths

• Covers over 710,000 square kilometres of the Southern Indian Ocean.
• Data was collected over a nearly three-year period from June 2014 to February 2017.
• Provides a consistent 30-meter resolution grid for the specified area.

Limitations

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

Provenance

Source

Geoscience Australia Data

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 2026-04-30 14:09:42.014380; freshness should be verified.

Geography

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