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Derived data product DEA Intertidal Elevation

  • 3D models of Australia’s tidal zones

  • New insights into coasts, beaches and reefs

  • Maps based on three decades of satellite data

blue and purple coastal lines along satellite image of curving coast
Updated
As needed
Satellite data from
Landsat
Data since
1986
Released
2019
Also known as
NIDEM

Quick links

Model the unseen undersea

Digital Earth Australia (DEA) Intertidal Elevation maps Australia's intertidal zone — the area between the highest tide mark and the lowest — in 3D, providing 25 m resolution elevation data for our sandy beaches, tidal flats, rocky shores and reefs

blue and white illustration of coastal features highlighting landscape relief
blue and purple coloure overlay on satellite image of coast showing town

With an understanding of intertidal zone boundaries, researchers can distinguish between tidal-induced and other long-term change

silhouette of fisherman on rock shelf with purple sky

Australians live, swim and play in more than 50,000 km of coast, and intertidal zones are a first line of defence against coastal erosion and storm surges

Why map intertidal elevation?

  • Plan for extreme events such as storm surges and coastal flooding

  • Improve models of how sea level rise will affect the Australian coastline

  • Inform geomorphology, bathymetry, and hydrodynamic and terrestrial elevation modelling

Coastal bay at night with lights from town reflecting on water

Imagery for impact The “Z” of where land meets the sea

We’ve created the first 3D model of Australia’s entire coastline, providing new information for tsunami preparedness, storm surge risk management, current modelling and ecological habitat mapping

Related resources

Green and white sandy landmass protruding from blue ocean

Our suite of coastal products

DEA Coastlines, DEA Intertidal Extents, DEA Intertidal Elevations, and DEA High and Low Tide imagery provide new perspectives on critical coastal environments.  

Our suite of coastal products Browse the products
blue and purple coloure overlay on satellite image of coast showing complex inlet systems

Journal article

'Between the tides: Modelling the elevation of Australia's exposed intertidal zone at continental scale’

Journal article Read the paper
Shallow reef aerial image

Mapping the Reef

Intertidal modelling was the missing link in mapping the seafloor of the entire Great Barrier Reef

Mapping the Reef Watch now

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