<p><strong>Those are <a href="http://seabedhabitats.org/2014/02/16/multibeam-backscatter-vs-sidescan-sonar-imagery/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">bathymetric survey</a> tracks.</strong></p>

<p>The survey artifacts are very straight and regular in character, compared to geological features. What you're seeing is an increased level of detail along the survey line, which contrasts with the relatively smooth background model.</p>

<p>I labeled some of the features in <a href="https://earthscience.stackexchange.com/a/6548/70">this answer</a> to a related question:</p>

<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/ceZqX.jpg" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/ceZqX.jpg" alt="Labeled image of Pacific floor"></a></p>

<p>NOAA Reference: <a href="http://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/atlantis.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Did I find the lost underwater civilization of Atlantis?</a></p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-03-16T19:22:00.020Z
Cool, thanks. Does this data exist for more of the ocean floor (and it is not represented in Google Earth)? Or is that all of it?
Al Lelopath
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-03-16T23:54:26.037Z
@Al The same sort of data is used all over the world. It tends to be denser around the coast and near major ports, as you'd expect.
Matt Hall
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-03-16T18:37:36.937Z
2016-03-17T09:15:45.390Z
2017-04-13T12:50:30.540Z
Matt Hall
<p>Taking for example the attached image, when looking at the ocean floor, there appears to be areas (strips, some of which I have drawn red lines by) of greater detail. Is this accurate detail? From ships that have passed over the area?
<a href="https://i.sstatic.net/7XqkT.jpg" rel="noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/7XqkT.jpg" alt="enter image description here"></a></p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-03-17T08:13:57.970Z
Yes, from ships that passed above the area. An interesting thing that will come out of the search for flight MH370 is an extremely detailed topographic map of the [area marked blue here](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malaysia_Airlines_Flight_370#/media/File:Reunion_debris_compared_to_MH370_flight_paths_and_underwater_search_area.png). They are discovering some amazing stuff in there that we had no idea existed: volcanos, faults, mountain ranges, huge ridges, and so much more.
Gimelist
<topography>
Details on Ocean floor
Al Lelopath
# Details on Ocean floor

(Asked by: username_0 on 2016-03-16)

Taking for example the attached image, when looking at the ocean floor, there appears to be areas (strips, some of which I have drawn red lines by) of greater detail. Is this accurate detail? From ships that have passed over the area?
[![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/7XqkT.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/7XqkT.jpg)

**Tags:** topography

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Yes, from ships that passed above the area. An interesting thing that will come out of the search for flight MH370 is an extremely detailed topographic map of the [area marked blue here](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malaysia_Airlines_Flight_370#/media/File:Reunion_debris_compared_to_MH370_flight_paths_and_underwater_search_area.png). They are discovering some amazing stuff in there that we had no idea existed: volcanos, faults, mountain ranges, huge ridges, and so much more.  

---

## 1 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2016-03-16. Score: 11 | Accepted answer

**Those are [bathymetric survey](http://seabedhabitats.org/2014/02/16/multibeam-backscatter-vs-sidescan-sonar-imagery/) tracks.**

The survey artifacts are very straight and regular in character, compared to geological features. What you're seeing is an increased level of detail along the survey line, which contrasts with the relatively smooth background model.

I labeled some of the features in [this answer](https://earthscience.stackexchange.com/a/6548/70) to a related question:

[![Labeled image of Pacific floor](https://i.sstatic.net/ceZqX.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/ceZqX.jpg)

NOAA Reference: [Did I find the lost underwater civilization of Atlantis?](http://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/atlantis.html)

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: Cool, thanks. Does this data exist for more of the ocean floor (and it is not represented in Google Earth)? Or is that all of it?  
> **username_2**: @Al The same sort of data is used all over the world. It tends to be denser around the coast and near major ports, as you'd expect.  

---

