Seabed Morphology Feature Glossary from International Marine Mapping Programs

A glossary of seabed morphology features provides standardized definitions and schematic diagrams for marine geoscientists. The classification system results from a collaboration between mapping programs in Norway, Ireland, the UK, and Australia.

Use Cases

• Standardize seabed mapping terminology using the glossary's feature definitions for consistent data annotation.
• Train a text classifier to categorize marine survey reports based on the glossary's morphology feature terms.
• Augment marine geospatial datasets by linking observed seabed forms to the glossary's representative schematic diagrams.

Strengths

• Glossary entries include both a feature definition and a representative schematic diagram for clarity.
• Classification system developed through collaboration of four national marine mapping programs (MAREANO, INFOMAR, MAREMAP, Geoscience Australia).
• Feature terms are primarily drawn and modified from the authoritative IHO guide for undersea feature names.

Limitations

• Dataset is a glossary document, not a tabular dataset with rows and columns for quantitative analysis.
• No sample data or structured data files (e.g., CSV) are provided, only an HTML report.
• The companion Part 2 Geomorphology feature glossary is described as a subsequent, separate report.

Provenance

Source

Zenodo, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.4071939

Collection Method

Collaborative development and modification of terms from the IHO guide, augmented by marine geoscientists.

Time Range

2020 (publication of Version 2).

Freshness

Updated version (v.2) published in 2020, with platform metadata last updated in 2026.

Geography

Global, developed by programs in Norway, Ireland, UK, and Australia.