Colormaps for bathymetry data in Surfer

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA) states that "On most bathymetric images of the ocean, colors on the “warm” end of the spectrum – red, orange, and yellow - represent shallower water. As the water deepens, the colors shift through green, blue, and finally into violet. Dry land is usually shown in white."  However, there is no definitive rule stating how color should be used to visualize changes in depth.  

Surfer has a number of predefined colormaps that can be used to display bathymetric data.  A collection of colormap (CLR) files that have been developed to display bathymetric and land data are attached.  

Load a color scale into a Surfer contour map

1. Select the Contours layer in the Contents window.
2. In the Properties window, click the Levels tab.
3. Click the Custom colormap button in the Fill colors field.
4. In the Colormap dialog, click Load.
5. Select the desired CLR file and click Open.
6. Click OK.

Bathymetry Colormaps