High-resolution digital elevation model of the North West Shelf – 30m

High resolution bathymetry is a critical input to marine scientists. It can be used to study the seafloor and its marine habitats, to understand past sedimentary records or even to support the development of offshore engineering projects. Most methods to acquire bathymetry are costly and can only be practically deployed on relatively small areas. It is therefore necessary to develop new techniques to produce large scale and cost-effective bathymetry.

The University of Western Australia developed an integrated method which builds on Sentinel-2 satellites images, 3D seismic surveys and existing datasets to generate a regional digital elevation model. The method was applied to the North West Shelf of Australia and led to the creation of a new high-resolution bathymetry of the area, with a resolution of 10 m in nearshore areas and 30 m elsewhere. This dataset marks a major upgrade of the pre-existing regional 9 arc second data.

The vertical and spatial accuracy of the datasets have been thoroughly assessed using high-resolution datasets including publicly available MBES and LADS surveys. The assessment indicates that the seismic derived bathymetry has a depth accuracy better than 1 m + 2% of the absolute water depths while the satellites derived bathymetry has a depth accuracy better than 1 m + 5% of the absolute water depths.

All datasets used as inputs are publicly available and the method is fully integrated in Python scripts making it readily applicable elsewhere in Australia and around the world.

This dataset is published with the permission of the CEO, Geoscience Australia.
Not to be used for navigational purposes.