MH370 Phase 2: High-Resolution Sea Floor Survey Data, 2014-2017

Over 121,000 square kilometres of high-resolution raw and processed sea floor data were collected during Phase 2 of the search for missing Malaysian Airlines flight MH370. The Australian Transport Safety Bureau led the search, with Geoscience Australia providing expertise and support for marine surveys conducted by multiple vessels between September 2014 and January 2017. This data was gathered to create detailed maps of the previously unmapped Southern Indian Ocean sea floor to ensure a safe and effective underwater search.

Use Cases

• Training bathymetric terrain models based on high-resolution multibeam and side scan sonar data.
• Analyzing sea floor topography for safe underwater vehicle navigation as described in the search context.
• Conducting geological studies of the Southern Indian Ocean sea floor using the detailed survey data.
• Developing search and rescue planning tools based on the mapped underwater terrain features.

Strengths

• Covers over 121,000 square kilometres of previously unmapped ocean floor.
• Data is described as high-resolution, derived from multibeam and side scan sonar.
• Surveys were conducted over a multi-year period from September 2014 to January 2017.

Limitations

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

Provenance

Source

Geoscience Australia, on behalf of the Governments of Australia, Malaysia, and the People's Republic of China.

Collection Method

Marine surveys conducted by vessels including Fugro Equator, Fugro Supporter, Fugro Discovery, Havila Harmony, Dong Hai Jiu 101, and Go Phoenix using towed and autonomous underwater vehicles with multibeam and side scan sonar.

Time Range

September 2014 to January 2017

Freshness

Last updated 2026-04-30 14:51:24.337212; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Southern Indian Ocean, specifically the MH370 search area.