SEA4 Kommandor Jack Survey: Geophysical Data for the Northern UK Continental Shelf

A 2002 geophysical survey collected multibeam, backscatter, and seismic data north of Shetland as part of the UK's Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA4). The survey aimed to create regional bathymetric maps, define a mud diapir province, and conduct reconnaissance in shallow waters. Data is provided by the Government Digital Service via the eu_open_data platform.

Use Cases

• Creating regional bathymetric maps based on EM120 multibeam data.
• Analyzing seabed composition and texture using backscatter data.
• Mapping the extent of geological features like mud diapirs based on high-resolution survey data.
• Conducting reconnaissance studies of shallow-water seabed morphology using EM1002 multibeam system data.

Strengths

• Includes multiple processed data types: 21 processed multibeam files, raw data, backscatter mosaics, bathymetric contours, and seismic data.
• Covers a defined geographic area (the 'northern triangle') with water depths ranging from 200 to 2400 meters.
• Supported by a detailed cruise report providing context and preliminary interpretation.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Last update date is unknown; freshness unverified.

Provenance

Source

Department of Trade and Industry (now Department of Energy and Climate Change), UK.

Collection Method

Collected via ship-based survey using EM120 and EM1002 multibeam systems, chirp seismic, and sidescan sonar.

Time Range

2002

Freshness

Survey conducted in 2002; data publication date is unknown.

Geography

UK Continental Shelf north of Shetland (Northern Triangle), defined by specific coordinates.