MH370 Phase 2: High-Resolution Sea Floor Sonar Data from the Southern Indian Ocean

High-resolution raw and processed sonar data acquired during Phase 2 of the search for missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370. Over 121,000 square kilometres of data were collected by multiple survey vessels using multibeam and side scan sonar between September 2014 and January 2017. The data was collated by Geoscience Australia on behalf of the Australian Transport Safety Bureau to map the previously uncharted sea floor topography in the Southern Indian Ocean.

Use Cases

• Mapping deep-sea bathymetry based on high-resolution multibeam and side scan sonar data.
• Analyzing sea floor topography for underwater navigation and hazard identification.
• Studying geological features in a previously unmapped region of the Southern Indian Ocean.
• Supporting future marine search operations by providing a detailed baseline map of the ocean floor.

Strengths

• Covers over 121,000 square kilometres of high-resolution data.
• Data was collected over a multi-year period from September 2014 to January 2017, providing temporal depth.
• Involves data from multiple vessels and sonar systems, suggesting methodological diversity.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Data freshness should be verified as the last metadata update is dated 2026-06-23.

Provenance

Source

Australian Ocean Data Network, Geoscience Australia, Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB).

Collection Method

Data acquired by third-party operators using towed and autonomous underwater vehicles equipped with multibeam and side scan sonar.

Time Range

September 2014 to January 2017

Freshness

Last updated 2026-06-23 00:16:45.246750; freshness should be verified

Geography

Southern Indian Ocean, specifically the MH370 search area.