This dataset contains both large (A0) printable maps of the Torres Strait broken into six overlapping regions, based on a clear sky, clear water composite Sentinel 2 composite imagery and the imagery used to create these maps. These maps show satellite imagery of the region, overlaid with reef and island boundaries and names. Not all features are named, just the more prominent features. This also includes a vector map of Ashmore Reef and Boot Reef in Coral Sea as these were used in the same discussions that these maps were developed for. The map of Ashmore Reef includes the atoll platform, reef boundaries and depth polygons for 5 m and 10 m.

This dataset contains all working files used in the development of these maps. This includes all a copy of all the source datasets and all derived satellite image tiles and QGIS files used to create the maps. This includes cloud free Sentinel 2 composite imagery of the Torres Strait region with alpha blended edges to allow the creation of a smooth high resolution basemap of the region.

The base imagery is similar to the older base imagery dataset: Torres Strait clear sky, clear water Landsat 5 satellite composite (NERP TE 13.1 eAtlas, AIMS, source: NASA).

Most of the imagery in the composite imagery from 2017 - 2021.


Method:
The Sentinel 2 basemap was produced by processing imagery from the World_AIMS_Marine-satellite-imagery dataset (01-data/World_AIMS_Marine-satellite-imagery in the data download) for the Torres Strait region. The TrueColour imagery for the scenes covering the mapped area were downloaded. Both the reference 1 imagery (R1) and reference 2 imagery (R2) was copied for processing. R1 imagery contains the lowest noise, most cloud free imagery, while R2 contains the next best set of imagery. Both R1 and R2 are typically composite images from multiple dates.

The R2 images were selectively blended using manually created masks with the R1 images. This was done to get the best combination of both images and typically resulted in a reduction in some of the cloud artefacts in the R1 images. The mask creation and previewing of the blending was performed in Photoshop. The created masks were saved in 01-data/R2-R1-masks. To help with the blending of neighbouring images a feathered alpha channel was added to the imagery. The processing of the merging (using the masks) and the creation of the feathered borders on the images was performed using a Python script (src/local/03-merge-R2-R1-images.py) using the Pillow library and GDAL. The neighbouring image blending mask was created by applying a blurring of the original hard image mask. This allowed neighbouring image tiles to merge together.

The imagery and reference datasets (reef boundaries, EEZ) were loaded into QGIS for the creation of the printable maps.

To optimise the matching of the resulting map slight brightness adjustments were applied to each scene tile to match its neighbours. This was done in the setup of each image in QGIS. This adjustment was imperfect as each tile was made from a different combinations of days (to remove clouds) resulting in each scene having a different tonal gradients across the scene then its neighbours. Additionally Sentinel 2 has slight stripes (at 13 degrees off the vertical) due to the swath of each sensor having a slight sensitivity difference. This effect was uncorrected in this imagery.


Single merged composite GeoTiff:
The image tiles with alpha blended edges work well in QGIS, but not in ArcGIS Pro. To allow this imagery to be used across tools that don't support the alpha blending we merged and flattened the tiles into a single large GeoTiff with no alpha channel. This was done by rendering the map created in QGIS into a single large image. This was done in multiple steps to make the process manageable.

The rendered map was cut into twenty 1 x 1 degree georeferenced PNG images using the Atlas feature of QGIS. This process baked in the alpha blending across neighbouring Sentinel 2 scenes. The PNG images were then merged back into a large GeoTiff image using GDAL (via QGIS), removing the alpha channel. The brightness of the image was adjusted so that the darkest pixels in the image were 1, saving the value 0 for nodata masking and the boundary was clipped, using a polygon boundary, to trim off the outer feathering. The image was then optimised for performance by using internal tiling and adding overviews. A full breakdown of these steps is provided in the README.md in the 'Browse and download all data files' link.

The merged final image is available in export\TS_AIMS_Torres Strait-Sentinel-2_Composite.tif.


Source datasets:
Complete Great Barrier Reef (GBR) Island and Reef Feature boundaries including Torres Strait Version 1b (NESP TWQ 3.13, AIMS, TSRA, GBRMPA), https://eatlas.org.au/data/uuid/d2396b2c-68d4-4f4b-aab0-52f7bc4a81f5

Geoscience Australia (2014b), Seas and Submerged Lands Act 1973 - Australian Maritime Boundaries 2014a - Geodatabase [Dataset]. Canberra, Australia: Author. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ [license]. Sourced on 12 July 2017, https://dx.doi.org/10.4225/25/5539DFE87D895

Basemap/AU_GA_AMB_2014a/Exclusive_Economic_Zone_AMB2014a_Limit.shp
The original data was obtained from GA (Geoscience Australia, 2014a). The Geodatabase was loaded in ArcMap. The Exclusive_Economic_Zone_AMB2014a_Limit layer was loaded and exported as a shapefile. Since this file was small no clipping was applied to the data.

Geoscience Australia (2014a), Treaties - Australian Maritime Boundaries (AMB) 2014a [Dataset]. Canberra, Australia: Author. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ [license]. Sourced on 12 July 2017, http://dx.doi.org/10.4225/25/5539E01878302
Basemap/AU_GA_Treaties-AMB_2014a/Papua_New_Guinea_TSPZ_AMB2014a_Limit.shp
The original data was obtained from GA (Geoscience Australia, 2014b). The Geodatabase was loaded in ArcMap. The Papua_New_Guinea_TSPZ_AMB2014a_Limit layer was loaded and exported as a shapefile. Since this file was small no clipping was applied to the data.

AIMS Coral Sea Features (2022) - DRAFT
This is a draft version of this dataset. The region for Ashmore and Boot reef was checked. The attributes in these datasets haven't been cleaned up. Note these files should not be considered finalised and are only suitable for maps around Ashmore Reef. Please source an updated version of this dataset for any other purpose.
CS_AIMS_Coral-Sea-Features/CS_Names/Names.shp
CS_AIMS_Coral-Sea-Features/CS_Platform_adj/CS_Platform.shp
CS_AIMS_Coral-Sea-Features/CS_Reef_Boundaries_adj/CS_Reef_Boundaries.shp
CS_AIMS_Coral-Sea-Features/CS_Depth/CS_AIMS_Coral-Sea-Features_Img_S2_R1_Depth5m_Coral-Sea.shp
CS_AIMS_Coral-Sea-Features/CS_Depth/CS_AIMS_Coral-Sea-Features_Img_S2_R1_Depth10m_Coral-Sea.shp

Murray Island 20 Sept 2011 15cm SISP aerial imagery, Queensland Spatial Imagery Services Program, Department of Resources, Queensland
This is the high resolution imagery used to create the map of Mer.

World_AIMS_Marine-satellite-imagery
The base image composites used in this dataset were based on an early version of Lawrey, E., Hammerton, M. (2024). Marine satellite imagery test collections (AIMS) [Data set]. eAtlas. https://doi.org/10.26274/zq26-a956. A snapshot of the code at the time this dataset was developed is made available in the 01-data/World_AIMS_Marine-satellite-imagery folder of the download of this dataset.


Data Location:
This dataset is filed in the eAtlas enduring data repository at: data\custodian\2020-2029-AIMS\TS_AIMS_Torres-Strait-Sentinel-2-regional-maps. On the eAtlas server it is stored at eAtlas GeoServer\data\2020-2029-AIMS.


Change Log:
2025-05-12: Eric Lawrey
Added Torres-Strait-Region-Map-Masig-Ugar-Erub-45k-A0 and Torres-Strait-Eastern-Region-Map-Landscape-A0. These maps have a brighten satellite imagery to allow easier reading of writing on the maps. They also include markers for geo-referencing the maps for digitisation.

2025-02-04: Eric Lawrey
Fixed up the reference to the World_AIMS_Marine-satellite-imagery dataset, clarifying where the source that was used in this dataset. Added ORCID and RORs to the record.

2023-11-22: Eric Lawrey
Added the data and maps for close up of Mer.
- 01-data/TS_DNRM_Mer-aerial-imagery/
- preview/Torres-Strait-Mer-Map-Landscape-A0.jpeg
- exports/Torres-Strait-Mer-Map-Landscape-A0.pdf
Updated 02-Torres-Strait-regional-maps.qgz to include the layout for the new map.

2023-03-02: Eric Lawrey
Created a merged version of the satellite imagery, with no alpha blending so that it can be used in ArcGIS Pro. It is now a single large GeoTiff image. The Google Earth Engine source code for the World_AIMS_Marine-satellite-imagery was included to improve the reproducibility and provenance of the dataset, along with a calculation of the distribution of image dates that went into the final composite image. A WMS service for the imagery was also setup and linked to from the metadata. A cross reference to the older Torres Strait clear sky clear water Landsat composite imagery was also added to the record.

We present our dataset containing images with labeled polygons, annotated over Sentinel-2 L1C imagery from snow and ice-covered regions. We use similar labels as the Fmask cloud detection algorithm, i.e., clear-sky land, cloud, shadow, snow, and water. We annotated the labels manually using the QGIS software. The dataset consists of 45 scenes divided into validation (22 scenes) and test datasets (23 scenes). The source images were captured by the satellite between October 2019 and December 2020. We provide the list of '.SAFE' filenames containing the satellite imagery and these files can be downloaded from the Copernicus Open Access Hub. The dataset can be used to test and benchmark deep neural networks for the task of cloud, shadow, and snow segmentation.

We present our dataset containing images with labeled polygons, annotated over Sentinel-2 L1C imagery from snow and ice-covered regions. We use similar labels as the Fmask cloud detection algorithm, i.e., clear-sky land, cloud, shadow, snow, and water. We annotated the labels manually using the QGIS software. The dataset consists of 45 scenes divided into validation (22 scenes) and test datasets (23 scenes). The source images were captured by the satellite between October 2019 and December 2020. We provide the list of '.SAFE' filenames containing the satellite imagery and these files can be downloaded from the Copernicus Open Access Hub. The dataset can be used to test and benchmark deep neural networks for the task of cloud, shadow, and snow segmentation.

The Bright Earth eAtlas Basemap dataset collection is a satellite-derived global map of the world at a 1:1M scale for most of the world and 1:200k scale for Australia. This map was inspired by Natural Earth II (NEII) and NASA's Blue Marble Next Generation (BMNG) imagery.

Its aim was to provide a basemap similar to NEII but with a higher resolution (~10x).

This basemap is derived from the following datasets: Blue Marble Next Generation 2004-04 (NASA), VMap0 coastline, Coast100k 2004 Australian coastline (GeoScience Australia), SRTM30 Plus v8.0 (UCSD) hillshading, Natural Earth Vector 10m bathymetry and coastline v2.0 (NE), gbr100 hillshading (JCU).

This dataset (World_Bright-Earth-e-Atlas-basemap) contains all the files required to setup the Bright Earth eAtlas basemap in a GeoServer. All the data files are stored in GeoTiffs or shapefiles and so can also be loaded into ArcMap, however no styling has been included for this purpose.

This basemap is small enough (~900 MB) that can be readily used locally or deployed to a GeoServer.

Base map aesthetics (added 28 Jan 2025)

The Bright Earth e-Atlas Basemap is a high-resolution representation of the Earth's surface, designed to depict global geography with clarity, natural aesthetics with bright and soft color tones that enhance data overlays without overwhelming the viewer. The land areas are based on NASA's Blue Marble imagery, with modifications to lighten the tone and apply noise reduction filtering to soften the overall coloring. The original Blue Marble imagery was based on composite satellite imagery resulting in a visually appealing and clean map that highlights natural features while maintaining clarity and readability. Hillshading has been applied across the landmasses to enhance detail and texture, bringing out the relief of mountainous regions, plateaus, and other landforms.

The oceans feature three distinct depth bands to illustrate shallow continental areas, deeper open ocean zones, and the very deep trenches and basins. The colors transition from light blue in shallow areas to darker shades in deeper regions, giving a clear sense of bathymetric variation. Hillshading has also been applied to the oceans to highlight finer structures on the seafloor, such as ridges, trenches, and other geological features, adding depth and dimensionality to the depiction of underwater topography.

At higher zoom levels prominent cities are shown and the large scale roads are shown for Australia.

Rendered Raster Version (added 28 Jan 2025)

A low resolution version of the dataset is available as a raster file (PNG, JPG and GeoTiff) at ~2 km and 4 km resolutions. These rasters are useful for applications where GeoServer is not available to render the data dynamically. While the rasters are large they represent a small fraction of the full detail of the dataset. The rastered version was produced using the layout manager in QGIS to render maps of the whole world, pulling the imagery from the eAtlas GeoServer. This imagery from converted to the various formats using GDAL. More detail is provided in 'Rendered-bright-earth-processing.txt' in the download and browse section.

Change Log 2025-01-28: Added two rendered raster versions of the dataset at 21600x10800 and 10400x5400 pixels in size in PNG, JPG and GeoTiff format. Added