Arafura Sea at a glance
- 191 maverage depth
- 54 mmedian depth
- 3,719 mmaximum depth
- 718,629 km²water area
Arafura Sea is a sea. Inside its outline the GEBCO grid has about 718,629 km² of water, with an average depth of about 191 m (the middle value is 54 m) and a maximum of 3,719 m, found at 5.51° S, 133.56° E.
Open the map at the deepest cell and tap to read the depth.
How deep is each part of the Arafura Sea?
The bar splits the Arafura Sea's water by depth. Each colour is a depth band, and the shares add up to 100%.
- 0 to 200 m: 88%
- 200 to 1,000 m: 6.7%
- 1,000 to 4,000 m: 5.4%
- 4,000 to 6,000 m: 0%
- below 6,000 m: 0%
Named features near the deepest point: Timor Trough (821 km), Nieuwerkerk (990 km), Yersey (1,085 km), Palau Trench (1,393 km).
The Arafura Sea if sea level dropped
The slider on the map lowers the sea in steps. This table shows how much of the Arafura Sea's water would be land at each step.
| Sea level lowered by | Becomes land | Share of its water |
|---|---|---|
| 10 m | 35,455 km² | 4.9% |
| 20 m | 96,560 km² | 13.4% |
| 50 m | 299,045 km² | 41.6% |
| 80 m | 541,710 km² | 75.4% |
| 120 m | 592,113 km² | 82.4% |
| 200 m | 632,108 km² | 88% |
| 500 m | 663,098 km² | 92.3% |
| 1,000 m | 679,982 km² | 94.6% |
| 2,000 m | 700,266 km² | 97.4% |
| 3,000 m | 710,033 km² | 98.8% |
| 4,000 m | 718,629 km² | 100% |
| 6,000 m | 718,629 km² | 100% |
A simple bathtub model: it lowers the sea everywhere by the same amount and does not simulate how water would really drain.
Nearby seas
- Ceram Sea average depth about 1,196 m
- Banda Sea average depth about 2,930 m
- Timor Sea average depth about 466 m
- Gulf of Carpentaria average depth about 41 m
- Halmahera Sea average depth about 799 m
- Molucca Sea average depth about 2,005 m
Nearest by the centre of each outline. All oceans and seas
Frequently asked questions
How deep is the Arafura Sea?
On average about 191 m in the GEBCO grid (the middle value is 54 m). The deepest cell inside its outline is 3,719 m, at 5.51° S, 133.56° E.
How big is the Arafura Sea?
About 718,629 km² of water inside its Natural Earth outline, counted from the grid cells that are below sea level.
How much of the Arafura Sea would be land if sea level dropped?
With the sea 10 m lower, about 35,455 km² (4.9%) of its water would be land. At 6,000 m lower, 100% would be. This is a simple bathtub model that lowers the sea evenly everywhere.
Data: depths from the GEBCO_2026 grid, statistics worked out inside the Natural Earth outline of the sea. See data sources and licences. The GEBCO Grid should NOT be used for navigation or for any other purpose involving safety at sea.