A multibeam sonar survey mapped a shelf valley system up to 220 meters deep and extending over 90 kilometers across the continental shelf at the northern end of Australia's Great Barrier Reef. The dataset likely contains bathymetric data supporting a new conceptual model for the formation of tidally incised shelf valleys. It is hosted by the Australian Ocean Data Network.
Use Cases
- Modeling tidal erosion processes based on the described valley morphology.
- Analyzing continental shelf geomorphology based on the mapped valley system.
- Comparing fluvial and tidal incision models based on the proposed conceptual framework.
- Mapping seabed features for habitat or resource studies based on the sonar survey data.
Strengths
- Survey mapped a valley system up to 220 meters deep.
- The valley system extends for more than 90 kilometers across the shelf.
- Data supports a new conceptual model for valley formation.
Limitations
- Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
- Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
- Freshness should be verified; last metadata update was 2026-05-05.
Provenance
- Source
- Australian Ocean Data Network
- Collection Method
- Multibeam sonar survey
- Geography
- Northern Great Barrier Reef, Australia, adjacent to the southern edge of the Gulf of Papua