GEBCO world map

The GEBCO world map shows the bathymetry of the world's ocean floor in the form of a shaded relief colour map. This is the third release of the map and now includes the names of features on the seafloor.

Access a copy of the world map

• in Adobe PDF format (60 Mbytes).
• in GeoTIFF format (445 Mbytes) for the region between 72°N and 72°S.

Please note that because of the size of the files we recommend that they are saved to disk rather than opened from the above links.

Data set acknowledgement

If imagery is reproduced from the GEBCO world map then we suggest the following form of acknowledgement

"Image reproduced from the GEBCO world map 2014, www.gebco.net"

Creation of the map

Work on the creation of the GEBCO world map began as a laboratory workshop project of the Nippon Foundation/GEBCO Training Project at the Center for Coastal and Ocean Mapping of the University of New Hampshire, USA.

The map is based upon bathymetry data from the GEBCO_08 Grid, version 20100927, a global bathymetric grid with 30 arc-second spacing. The grid is largely based upon a database of shiptrack soundings with interpolation between soundings guided by satellite-derived gravity data. Where they improve on the existing grid, data sets developed by other methods have been included.

Names of features on the seafloor are taken from the GEBCO Gazetteer of Undersea Feature Names.

The land imagery is taken from the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) Blue Marble data set. The coastline is taken from the World Vector Shoreline.

The first release of the GEBCO world map was published in 2007 and was based on bathymetry data from the GEBCO One Minute Grid.

Use of the GEBCO world map

The image file has been made available for you to download and either print or use in digital form.

The map is supplied under the following terms and conditions

• Use of the printed map and/or digital imagery for scientific research, environmental conservation, education or other non commercial purposes is authorised without the prior permission of the data set originators, providing the source material is properly credited.
• Use of the printed map and/or digital imagery for sale or for use in a commercial product or for any other commercial purpose is prohibited without the prior permission of the data set originators. In the first instance, any request for such permission should be addressed to the British Oceanographic Data Centre (email BODC Enquiries).
• The printed map/digital imagery should not be used for navigation or for any purpose relating to safety at sea.