Significance of Bathymetric Data in Polar and Marine Research … and Beyond Norbert Ott & Hans Werner Schenke Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research Bathymetry und Geodesy Bremerhaven, Germany

1 October 2008INTERGEO 2008, Bremen2 Alfred Wegener Institute Founded in 1980 Member of Helmholtz-Gemeinschaft Deutscher Forschungszentren (HGF) ~800 Employees in Bremerhaven, Potsdam, Helgoland, and Sylt Budget in 2006: ~100 Mio. Euro Financing: 90% BMBF, 10% Fed. States Scientific program with three faculties Geo, Bio und Climate Logistics: 3 ships, 2 airplanes 6 stations: Neumayer, Koldewey etc.

1 October 2008INTERGEO 2008, Bremen3 Bathymetry in Polar Research

1 October 2008INTERGEO 2008, Bremen4 Bathymetry in Marine Research Submarine Canyons Submarine Landslide

1 October 2008INTERGEO 2008, Bremen5 Why Sea Floor Topography Matters? Defines gates and barriers e.g. Drake Passage, Tasman Gateway Steers global currents e.g. Antarctic Circumpolar Current Brown et al., 2006 Thermohaline circulation e.g. bottom water formation Influences global climate e.g. Antarctic glaciation WHOI, 2002

1 October 2008INTERGEO 2008, Bremen6 Carbotte et al., 2000 Grobe, 2000 Applications Geosciences –Endogenous processes –Exogenous processes –Disaster management Oceanography –Circulation and Flux –Numeric Modeling Biology –Ecology und Biodiversity –Protection and conservation Observing systems –Physical boundary –Domains and Variables NOAA, 2007

1 October 2008INTERGEO 2008, Bremen7 Scientific Projects Arctic Ocean Fram-Strait (1997) Gakkel-Ridge (2001) IBCAO (current) Southern Ocean BCWS ( ) INT 9057, 9055 (current) IBCSO (current)

1 October 2008INTERGEO 2008, Bremen8 Gakkel-Ridge in the Arctic Ocean AMORE Expedition 2001 –Mid-ocean Ridge –1800 km length, 3000 m height Characteristics –Ultraslow spreading –Graben structure –thin crustal thickness –Amagmatic/aseismic (?) Defined as new Type of MOR –cold and rigid crust

1 October 2008INTERGEO 2008, Bremen9 IBC of the Weddell Sea Bathymetric Data: GEBCO GDA IHO DCDB and HOs MB-Daten Topographic Data: ADD 1.94, 1994

1 October 2008INTERGEO 2008, Bremen10 Gravity vs. Bathymetry Gravity –Herring bone pattern –Heterogenic gravity field –Density contrasts Bathymetry –No Herring bone pattern –Homogenic Topography Seismic findings –Sediments (~1000 m) –Smooth topography Smith & Sandwell, 1997 Schenke et al., 1998

1 October 2008INTERGEO 2008, Bremen11 A Bath Tube After All? Divins, NGDC, 2003

1 October 2008INTERGEO 2008, Bremen12 Holland, 2001 The Weddell Sea Polynya Polynya – hole in sea ice –First in 1975, then in 1994 Topography –Maud Rise (~3000 m) –Volcanic complex Steering –Local vortex near the rise –Up-streaming currents –Energy transport - heat NOAA, 1988 Holland; 2001

NASA, USGS, 1999 Karman Vortices at Selkirk Island (SE Pacific) 1 October 2008INTERGEO 2008, Bremen13 Atmospheric Analogon

1 October 2008INTERGEO 2008, Bremen14 Project „Coolchart“ Bathymetric Data: MB-Data, BCWS, 1998 Topographic Data: Radarsat Mosaic, 1997 coast line, contours

Extension of the IBCSO 1 October 2008INTERGEO 2008, Bremen15 IBC of the Southern Ocean Ship Tracks with existing Multibeam Data

1 October 2008INTERGEO 2008, Bremen16 RAMP, 1997 The GIS Database Bathymetric data of the SO –Raw data, Grids, contours and Charts Topographic data of Antarctica –DEM, ice thickness, Subglacial topo. –Coastline, grounding line, ice edge Additional data –Satellite imagery –Feature names –Limits of seas –Metadata Lythe et al., 2001

1 October 2008INTERGEO 2008, Bremen17 GITEWS: DHI, GKSS, AWI IOC of UNECSO, 2006 DEM in Tsunami Warning Systems RADAR LIDAR SONAR Behrens et al., 2008

1 October 2008INTERGEO 2008, Bremen18 Bathymetry goes WWW North Pole Data Errors in Polar Regions

1 October 2008INTERGEO 2008, Bremen19 ENC Prototyp of New York City

1 October 2008INTERGEO 2008, Bremen20 State-of-the-Art: Mars vs. Earth HRSC 10 m resolution Global coverage of Mars Multi-spectral imagery Stereoscopic views Multibeam 100 m Only local coverage Color-coded DEM Perspective views ESA, DLR, FU Berlin, 2007

1 October 2008INTERGEO 2008, Bremen21 Conclusions Depth values provide digital data for numerical modeling by use of digital tool – with large data gaps in the polar areas. Digital data processing enables the performance of GIS based analyses as well as the generation of thematic maps for improved visualization of the sea floor and its dynamic processes. Bathymetric data of AWI are used for applications in the fields of Geo-, Bio- und Climate Sciences and for disaster management and safe navigation. Integration of bathymetric data with additional geo-scientific data enables the observation und evaluation of polar ecosystems – and their conservation.