Rule-based semi-automated tools for mapping seabed morphology from bathymetry data
Seabed morphology maps and data are critical for knowledge-building and best practice management of marine environments. To facilitate objective and repeatable production of these maps, we have developed a number of semi-automated, rule-based GIS tools (Geoscience Australia’s Semi-automated Morphological Mapping Tools (GA-SaMMT)) to operationalise the mapping of a common set of bathymetric high and bathymetric low seabed Morphological Features. The tools have a graphical user interface and were developed using Python scripts under the widely-used proprietary ArcGIS Pro platform. The utility of these tools was tested across nine case study areas that represent a diverse range of complex bathymetric and physiographic settings. Overall, the mapping results are found to be more consistent than manual mapping and allow for capture of greater detail across a range of spatial scales. The mapping results demonstrate a number of advantages of GA-SaMMT, including: 1) requirement of only a bathymetry grid as sole data input; 2) flexibility to apply domain knowledge to user-defined tool parameters or to use default parameter settings; 3) repeatability and consistency in the mapping outputs when using a consistent set of tool parameters (user defined or default); 4) high-degree of objectivity; and 5) efficiency in mapping a large number (thousands) of seabed morphology features in a single dataset. In addition, GA-SaMMT generates 34 and 46 metrics to comprehensively quantify the characteristics of individual seabed bathymetric high and low features, respectively. Our results indicate that attribute metrics are invaluable in the interpretation and modelling of mapped Morphology Features and provide insights into their formative processes and habitat potential for marine communities.
Appeared in Front. Mar. Sci., 28 August 2023, Sec. Ocean Observation, Volume 10.
Simple
Identification info
- Date (Creation)
- 2023-02-15
- Date (Publication)
- 2023-09-13T23:22:11
- Citation identifier
- Geoscience Australia Persistent Identifier/https://pid.geoscience.gov.au/dataset/ga/147718
- Cited responsible party
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Role Organisation / Individual Name Details Publisher Commonwealth of Australia (Geoscience Australia)
Voice Author Huang, Z.
Internal Contact Author Nanson, R.
Internal Contact Author Mcneil, M.
Internal Contact Author Wenderlich, M.
Internal Contact Author Gafeira, J.
External Contact Author Post, A.
Internal Contact Author Nichol, S.
Internal Contact
- Name
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Frontiers in Marine Science
- Purpose
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This paper is written as a product of national seabed morphology and geomorphology mapping project in Marine sections. The paper describes GA-SaMMT tools developed for mapping seabed morphology and presents the mapping results of using these tools for nine case studies. We intend to use this paper as an effective way of promote the use of GA-SaMMT tools and the published morphology classification scheme which GA has a significant contribution to.
- Status
- Point of contact
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Role Organisation / Individual Name Details Resource provider Place and Communities Division
External Contact Point of contact Commonwealth of Australia (Geoscience Australia)
Voice Point of contact Huang, Z.
Internal Contact
- Spatial representation type
- Topic category
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- Geoscientific information
Extent
))
- Maintenance and update frequency
- As needed
Resource format
- Title
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Product data repository: Various Formats
- Website
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Data Store directory containing the digital product files
Data Store directory containing one or more files, possibly in a variety of formats, accessible to Geoscience Australia staff only for internal purposes
- Keywords
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seabed
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morphology
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GA-SaMMT
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mapping
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bathymetry
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ArcGIS python tools
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- Keywords
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geomorphology
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- theme.ANZRC Fields of Research.rdf
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Marine geoscience
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Geoinformatics not elsewhere classified
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- Keywords
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Published_External
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Resource constraints
- Title
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Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Licence
- Alternate title
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CC-BY
- Edition
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4.0
- Addressee
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Role Organisation / Individual Name Details User Any
- Use constraints
- License
- Use constraints
- Other restrictions
- Other constraints
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© Commonwealth of Australia (Geoscience Australia) 2023
Resource constraints
- Title
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Australian Government Security Classification System
- Edition date
- 2018-11-01T00:00:00
- Classification
- Unclassified
- Classification system
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Australian Government Security Classification System
Associated resource
- Association Type
- Informed
- Title
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Bynoe Harbour Marine Survey 2016: GA4452/SOL6432 Post-survey report
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- 100945
- Citation identifier
- f5ffb3d9-a0e6-4098-93ed-9a2883cea1e8
Associated resource
- Association Type
- Informed
- Title
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Characterising Marine Abiotic Patterns in the Darwin-Bynoe Harbour region: Summary report, Physical Environments, Darwin Harbour Habitat Mapping Project
- Citation identifier
- 127386
- Citation identifier
- 80c85537-63d8-4932-b1f9-1d7545a1fe6d
Associated resource
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- Generated
- Title
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Bynoe Harbour Habitat Mapping Bathymetry Survey (SOL6432/GA4452)
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- 144556
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- 21ab9986-4289-44eb-9b2d-7db4b8f74d68
Associated resource
- Association Type
- Informed
- Title
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Seabed Environments and Shallow Geology of the Petrel Sub-basin, Northern Australia SOL5463 (GA0335) Post Survey Report (NLECI Program)
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- 74627
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Associated resource
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Petrel Sub-basin Marine Survey (GA-0335 / SOL5463) (NLECI Program) - High Resolution Bathymetry Grids
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Oceanic Shoals Commonwealth Marine Reserve (Timor Sea) Biodiversity Survey: GA0339/SOL5650 Post-Survey Report
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Associated resource
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- Generated
- Title
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Oceanic Shoals Commonwealth Marine Reserve - High Resolution Multibeam Sonar Bathymetry Grids
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Associated resource
- Association Type
- Informed
- Title
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Seabed Environments and Shallow Geology of the Leveque Shelf, Western Australia SOL5754 (GA0340) Post Survey Report
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- 78749
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Associated resource
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Data package - Seabed environments and shallow geology of the Leveque Shelf, Browse Basin, Western Australia.
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- 180ea3b0-773d-569b-e053-10a3070aa65f
Associated resource
- Association Type
- Informed
- Title
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Carnarvon Shelf Survey Post-Cruise Report
- Citation identifier
- 68525
- Citation identifier
- a05f7892-dbcb-7506-e044-00144fdd4fa6
Associated resource
- Association Type
- Generated
- Title
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MH370 Phase 1 Optimal Bathymetry datasets (GA-4421, GA-4422 and GA-4430)
- Citation identifier
- 82625
- Citation identifier
- 0bf01609-fde2-3d9c-e054-00144fdd4fa6
Associated resource
- Association Type
- Informed
- Title
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Seabed Environments and Subsurface Geology of the Capel-Faust Basins and Gifford Guyot, Eastern Australia - TAN0713 Post-survey Report
- Citation identifier
- 68630
- Citation identifier
- a05f7892-dc28-7506-e044-00144fdd4fa6
Associated resource
- Association Type
- Generated
- Title
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Gifford Marine Park Bathymetry - 30m Resolution Grid
- Citation identifier
- 121193
- Citation identifier
- b941d108-5e80-41a4-aa86-4ec5e33ef994
Associated resource
- Association Type
- Generated
- Title
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Seafloor bathymetry of the Sabrina slope canyons, East Antarctic margin
- Citation identifier
- 144481
- Citation identifier
- daa5d147-0280-4512-9b35-c0003ee9b5b5
- Language
- English
- Character encoding
- UTF8
Distribution Information
- Distributor contact
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Role Organisation / Individual Name Details Distributor Commonwealth of Australia (Geoscience Australia)
Voice facsimile
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Link to Frontiers in Marine Science article
Link to Frontiers in Marine Science article
- Distribution format
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Resource lineage
- Statement
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<div>This paper is written as a product of national seabed morphology and geomorphology mapping project in Marine sections. This study used GA-SaMMT ( https://dx.doi.org/10.26186/146832) developed in Geoscience Australia for mapping the seabed morphology. The bathymetry datasets used in this study have been acquired through various funding programs (Commonwealth Environmental Research Facilities Program; National Environmental Reseach Program; National Environmental Science Program; Offshore Energy Security Program; National Low Emissions Coal Initiative / National CO2 Infrastructure Plan). </div><div><br></div><div>This study used nine case studies. The bathymetry datasets and publications of these nine case studies are listed below. Please see the paper for the details of these citations.</div><div>1. Bynoe Harbour: </div><div>a) Siwabessy et al. (2016) http://dx.doi.org/10.11636/Record.2017.004. (eCat: 100945)</div><div>b) Nicholas et al. (2019) http://pid.geoscience.gov.au/dataset/ga/127386. (eCat: 127386)</div><div>c) https://ecat.ga.gov.au/geonetwork/srv/eng/catalog.search#/metadata/144556 (eCat: 144556)</div><div><br></div><div>2. Bonaparte Shelf:</div><div>a) Carroll et al. (2012) https://pid.geoscience.gov.au/dataset/ga/74627 (eCat: 74627)</div><div>b) Spinoccia (2012) http://dx.doi.org/10.4225/25/53DB119E95FA4 (eCat: 74866)</div><div><br></div><div>3. Bonaparte Basin:</div><div>a) Nichol et al. (2013) https://pid.geoscience.gov.au/dataset/ga/76658 (eCat: 76658)</div><div>b) Siwabessy and Picard (2014) http://dx.doi.org/10.4225/25/562EC3D2542B1 (eCat: 79006)</div><div><br></div><div>4. Leveque Shelf:</div><div>a) Picard et al. (2014) http://dx.doi.org/10.11636/Record.2014.010. (eCat: 78749)</div><div>b) Picard et al. (2016) https://pid.geoscience.gov.au/dataset/ga/83727 (eCat: 83727)</div><div><br></div><div>5. Point Cloates Shelf:</div><div>a) Brooke et al. (2009) https://pid.geoscience.gov.au/dataset/ga/68525 (eCat: 68525)</div><div>b) Nichol et al. (2012)</div><div>c) https://pid.geoscience.gov.au/dataset/ga/77253 (eCat: 77523)</div><div><br></div><div>6. Broken Ridge:</div><div>a) Picard et al. (2018)</div><div>b) Spinoccia (2017) https://pid.geoscience.gov.au/dataset/ga/82625</div><div><br></div><div>7. Tasmanian Seamounts:</div><div>a) Althaus et al. (2009)</div><div>b) Williams et al. (2020)</div><div>c) Williams et al. (2016) https://data.csiro.au/collection/csiro:57308</div><div><br></div><div>8. Gifford Seamounts:</div><div>a) Heap et al. (2009) https://pid.geoscience.gov.au/dataset/ga/68630 (eCat: 68630)</div><div>b) Nanson et al. (2018)</div><div>c) http://dx.doi.org/10.4225/25/5b3174bf2de9b (eCat: 121193)</div><div><br></div><div>9. Sabrina Slope:</div><div>a) O'Brien et al. (2020)</div><div>b) Post et al. (2020)</div><div>c) https://pid.geoscience.gov.au/dataset/ga/144481 (eCat: 144481)</div><div><br></div>
Metadata constraints
- Title
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Australian Government Security Classification System
- Edition date
- 2018-11-01T00:00:00
- Classification
- Unclassified
Metadata
- Metadata identifier
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urn:uuid/130781a8-0d1d-4778-a8e5-d5d3f5a32ba4
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GeoNetwork UUID
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- English
- Character encoding
- UTF8
- Contact
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Role Organisation / Individual Name Details Point of contact Commonwealth of Australia (Geoscience Australia)
Voice Point of contact Huang, Z.
Internal Contact
Type of resource
- Resource scope
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- Name
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Journal Article / Conference Paper
Alternative metadata reference
- Title
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Geoscience Australia - short identifier for metadata record with
uuid
- Citation identifier
- eCatId/147718
- Date info (Creation)
- 2023-09-13T23:14:19
- Date info (Revision)
- 2023-09-13T23:14:19
Metadata standard
- Title
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AU/NZS ISO 19115-1:2014
Metadata standard
- Title
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ISO 19115-1:2014
Metadata standard
- Title
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ISO 19115-3
- Title
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Geoscience Australia Community Metadata Profile of ISO 19115-1:2014
- Edition
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Version 2.0, September 2018
- Citation identifier
- http://pid.geoscience.gov.au/dataset/ga/122551