INSS INFOMAR Seabed Survey Shallow seismic Sub-Bottom Profile

This map shows the areas where sub-bottom profile data is available in Irish waters. Sub-bottom profile data shows the rock features and the sediment layers that are below the seabed. A sub-bottom profile is created by sending sound waves from the vessel to the seabed. The length of time it takes for these sound wave to return from the seabed to the vessel is measured. The length of time tells us how hard the material below the seabed is. Hard material such as solid rock returns the sound wave very quickly. Soft material such as mud returns the sound wave very slowly. This map shows where sub-bottom profile data has been collected from the seabed in Irish waters. This data was collected from 1996 to the present date. It is a vector dataset. Vector data portray the world using points, lines, and polygons (areas). The coverage is shown as polygons. Each polygon holds information on the unique id, survey id, the name of boat, survey year, whether sub-bottom data was collected, data status, instructions and a url to download data if available. This data shows areas that have been surveyed. There are plans to fill in the missing areas between 2020 and 2026. The deeper offshore waters were mapped as part of the Irish National Seabed Survey (INSS) between 1999 and 2005. INtegrated Mapping FOr the Sustainable Development of Ireland's MArine Resource (INFOMAR) is mapping the inshore areas. (2006 - 2026).