HI1820 MBSW08: UK Seafloor Backscatter and Sediment Samples from 2023

Acoustic backscatter mosaics, seabed samples, and sediment shapefiles collected by the UK's Maritime and Coastguard Agency in 2023. The data was verified by the UK Hydrographic Office and collected from the vessel Taran using a Norbit iWBMS system. It is published by the British Geological Survey and was last updated in April 2026.

Use Cases

• Classify seafloor sediment types based on acoustic backscatter mosaics.
• Map sediment distribution patterns using point and area shapefiles.
• Validate remote sensing data with physical seabed samples and images.

Strengths

• Data is verified by the authoritative UK Hydrographic Office.
• Includes multiple complementary data types: mosaics, samples, images, and shapefiles.
• Collection details are specified, including the vessel and sensor (Taran, Norbit iWBMS).

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 bias inherent to the UK Civil Hydrography Programme.

Provenance

Source

British Geological Survey (BGS)

Collection Method

Collected via ship-based survey as part of the Civil Hydrography Programme.

Time Range

2023

Freshness

Last updated 2026-04-09 08:29:50.769493; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Likely UK coastal or territorial waters (specific area HI1820 MBSW08).