Gridded bathymetry data
GEBCO provides global bathymetry data sets for the world's oceans.
We make the following gridded bathymetry data sets available:
- The GEBCO_08 Grid — a global 30 arc-second grid
largely generated by combining quality-controlled ship depth soundings with interpolation between sounding points guided by satellite-derived gravity data. However, in areas where they improve on the existing GEBCO_08 grid, data sets generated by other methods have been included. Land data are largely based on the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM30) gridded digital elevation model. A ‘source identifier’, SID, grid is also available to download to accompany the GEBCO_08 Grid. This shows which grid cells have been constrained by bathymetry data during the gridding process.
The GEBCO_08 Grid is a development product, which will undergo periodic update. Although every effort has been made to reduce the number of errors in the data set, we expect that some grid artifacts will be found. A list of reported bugs may be found on the errata pages.
- The GEBCO One Minute Grid — a global one arc-minute grid
Released: 2003, updated: 2008 — largely based on the most recent set of bathymetric contours contained within the GEBCO Digital Atlas.
On behalf of GEBCO, the grids are available to download from the British Oceanographic Data Centre (BODC). Using this web application, you can select to download the complete global grid files or data for a user-defined area using an interactive map or by entering the geographic co-ordinates of your area of interest in a dialogue box.
The data are made available from this web application in the form of netCDF files and can be used with Generic Mapping Tools (GMT) software system.
Software is available to download for viewing and accessing data from the global grid files in ASCII as well as netCDF.
The gridded data sets are included as part of the GEBCO Digital Atlas (GDA).
Imagery showing the shape of the seafloor is available to view and download.
Note on vertical datum and GEBCO's grids
GEBCO's global elevation models are generated by the assimilation of heterogeneous data types assuming all of them to be referred to mean sea level. However, in some shallow water areas, the grids include data from sources having a vertical datum other than mean sea level. We are working to understand how best to fully assimilate these data.
GEBCO's grids are not to be used for navigation or for any other purpose involving safety at sea.
Find out more
- User Guide to the GEBCO_08 Grid
(263 KB) - Improving GEBCO's grid in shallow water regions
- View imagery of the seafloor
- Land data — Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) data set
- GEBCO_08 Grid update history
- User Guide to the GEBCO One Minute Grid (784 KB)
- Version 2.0 of the GEBCO One Minute Grid (353 KB)