BGS 2014/4: Multibeam Bathymetry and Geophysical Survey of the North East England Coast

British Geological Survey (BGS) conducted a marine multibeam and geophysical survey from 26 August to 5 September 2014 off the North East coast of England near Craster. The survey aimed to understand submerged palaeo-environments in the southern North Sea, focusing on pathways and timescales of hominin colonisation. Data includes sea floor bathymetry collected with a Kongsberg EM3002D multibeam system and sub-bottom seismic profiling from an Edgetech 216S chirp system.

Use Cases

• Map sea floor topography based on multibeam bathymetry data.
• Analyze sub-surface sediment layers based on sub-bottom seismic profiling data.
• Model past coastal landscapes and potential hominin migration routes based on the survey's stated aim of understanding submerged palaeo-environments.

Strengths

• Survey conducted by the authoritative British Geological Survey (BGS) in collaboration with English Heritage and Wessex Archaeology.
• Data collection used specific, named equipment: a Kongsberg EM3002D multibeam system and an Edgetech 216S chirp system.
• Data is archived by BGS and available for download, with multibeam data accessible via the UKHO Bathy DAC portal.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count and file size are unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Data may reflect geographic and temporal bias inherent to a single survey in 2014.

Provenance

Source

British Geological Survey (BGS)

Collection Method

Marine survey conducted from the RV White Ribbon using multibeam and chirp sub-bottom profiler systems.

Time Range

26 August 2014 to 5 September 2014

Freshness

Last updated 2026-05-28 14:04:26.547844; freshness should be verified.

Geography

North East coast of England, near Craster, southern North Sea