Highly detailed maps of New Zealand's seabed have been made available by the nation’s National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research.
The data provides the most up-to-date bathymetry of the major features and the maps are generated from multibeam data, combined with traditional bathymetric data.
Multibeam echo sounders emit a fan of sound beams to the seafloor to scan a wide swath of the seabed in great detail and back to a receiver on the ship.
NIWA geologist Helen Neil said putting the maps online is an opportunity to showcase the extent of what NIWA does.
"These are the best map products around. They include an extensive area of 11.7 million square kilometres, an area that extends past the continental shelf, and to depths of up to 11 000 metres," she said.
"They are the product of truly sophisticated seafloor mapping combined with expert marine geological knowledge."
The 250-metre-resolution digital terrain maps of New Zealand's exclusive economic zone are available in multiple high-resolution file formats.
The project was supported by funding from the Foundation for Research, Science and Technology and the Royal New Zealand Navy, the US National Geophysical Data Centre, Institute Francais de Recerche pour l'Exploitation de la Mer, and Land Information New Zealand.
