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Geomorphology of the Australian Margin and Adjacent Seafloor

Created 20/01/2026

Updated 20/01/2026

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For the first time, the distribution of seafloor geomorphic features has been systematically mapped over much of the Australian margin and adjacent seafloor. Each of 21 feature types was identified using a new, 250 m spatial resolution bathymetry model and supporting literature. The total area mapped was 48.9 million km2 and included the seafloor surrounding the Australian mainland and island territories of Christmas, Cocos (Keeling), Macquarie and Norfolk Islands. Of this total mapped area, the shelf is 41.9 million km2 (21.92%), the slope 44.0 million km2 (44.80%) and the abyssal plain/deep ocean floor 42.8 million km2 (32.20%). The rise covers 97 070 km2 or 1.08% of the mapped area. A total of 6702 individual geomorphic features were mapped. Plateaus have the largest surface area and cover 1.49 million km2 or 16.54%, followed by basins (714 000 km2; 7.98%), and terraces (577 700 km2; 6.44%), with the remaining 14 types each making up 55%. Reefs, which total 4172 individual features (47 900 km2; 0.54%), are the most numerous type of geomorphic feature, principally due to the large number of individual coral reefs of the Great Barrier Reef. The geomorphology of the margin is most complex where marginal plateaus, terraces, trench/troughs and submarine canyons are present. Comparison with global seafloor geomorphology indicates that the Australian margin is relatively under-represented in shelf and rise and over-represented in slope area, a pattern that reflects the mainland being bounded on three sides by rifted continent ocean margins and associated large marginal plateaus. Significantly, marginal plateaus on the Australian margin cover 20% of the total world area of marginal plateaus. The mapped area can be divided into 10 geomorphic regions by quantifying regional differences in diagnostic assemblages of features, and these regions can be used as a starting-point to infer broad-scale seafloor habitat types.

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Additional Info

Field Value
Title Geomorphology of the Australian Margin and Adjacent Seafloor
Language eng
Licence Not Specified
Landing Page https://data.gov.au/data/en/dataset/8ac614fd-acfe-410a-b4aa-c8c99daef575
Contact Point
Geoscience Australia Data
clientservices@ga.gov.au
Reference Period 22/04/2018
Geospatial Coverage
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors
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      ],
      [
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      ],
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    ]
  ],
  "type": "Polygon"
}
Data Portal data.gov.au

Data Source

This dataset was originally found on data.gov.au "Geomorphology of the Australian Margin and Adjacent Seafloor". Please visit the source to access the original metadata of the dataset:
https://data.gov.au/data/dataset/geomorphology-of-the-australian-margin-and-adjacent-seafloor3