Bathymetry is the scientific study and measurement of the depth and topography of ocean, sea, lake, or river floors, forming the underwater analog of terrestrial topography. It relies on techniques such as single-beam and multibeam echo sounding, airborne lidar bathymetry, and satellite-derived methods to map seafloor morphology with high spatial resolution. Bathymetric data are fundamental for hydrodynamic and circulation modeling, habitat mapping, submarine geohazard assessment, navigation safety, and marine spatial planning. In research, bathymetry underpins analyses of tectonic and sedimentary processes, coastal erosion and inundation risk, tsunami propagation, and interactions between ocean dynamics and seafloor structure.
A 93-strong international expedition team has been exploring the northwestern Weddell Sea in the Antarctic on board the Alfred Wegener Institute's icebreaker Polarstern since February 8, 2026. In this key region for global ...
Earth Sciences
23 hours ago
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Communities worldwide rely on reservoirs for drinking water, hydroelectric power, irrigation, and more. These critical freshwater resources are affected by seasonal and long-term changes; water levels in reservoirs can dip ...
Earth Sciences
Mar 31, 2026
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When we dream of landscapes, we might imagine rolling valleys or rugged mountains. But there is a whole landscape hidden from human view: the secret world of the seafloor.
Earth Sciences
Feb 22, 2026
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Commercial shipping not only affects the Baltic Sea on the surface, but also has a significant impact on the water column and the seabed. A study by the Leibniz Institute for Baltic Sea Research Warnemünde (IOW) and Kiel ...
Earth Sciences
Feb 10, 2026
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The King's Trough Complex is a several-hundred-kilometer-long, canyon-like system of trenches on the North Atlantic seafloor. Its formation was long thought to be the result of simple stretching of the oceanic crust. An international ...
Earth Sciences
Jan 29, 2026
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Australia has the third largest ocean territory on the planet, measuring 13.8 million square kilometers, including the Australian Antarctic Territory. Australia's diverse oceans, seas and waterways form an integral part of ...
Ecology
Dec 15, 2025
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Shallow seas serve as critical transition zones connecting land and the deep ocean, supplying essential resources for navigation, fisheries, energy exploration, and island reef development. Accurate bathymetric data form ...
Earth Sciences
Nov 26, 2025
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A high-tech mapping team from CSIRO, Australia's national science agency, has produced an incredible new view of one of Tasmania's most iconic natural features and Australia's deepest lake, Lake St Clair in Tasmania's central ...
Environment
Nov 14, 2025
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An "enormous" submerged mountain that rivals peaks in the Rockies has been mapped for the first time in a previously unexplored area of the western Pacific, according to NOAA Ocean Exploration.
Earth Sciences
Sep 12, 2025
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Submarine canyons are among the most spectacular and fascinating geological formations to be found on our ocean floors, but at an international level, scientists have yet to uncover many of their secrets, especially those ...
Earth Sciences
Jul 21, 2025
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