Large-scale deep-water seafloor mapping from the Rockall to the Hatton basins, NE Atlantic

Multibeam data acquired in 2000 and 2001 during the Irish National Seabed Survey (INSS) are used for the first detailed investigation of the seabed geomorphology and sediment type in the Hatton-Rockall basin area of the North East Atlantic Ocean, covering an area of approximately 80,000 km². The original multibeam survey produced bathymetric and backscatter datasets that allowed the creation of a Digital Terrain Models of approximately 50 m in resolution in water depths between 500 and 3500 m. Near-surface sediments for the entire region haven been classified using features derived from multibeam angular backscatter data (12kHz) and robust unsupervised clustering techniques. Additionally, sub bottom data imaging the shallow stratigraphy and geomagnetic measurements collected at the time of the MBES survey are combined to further characterise some of the features identified. The features presented in detail include parts of the Hatton and Gardar contourite drifts, volcanic mounds identified by their morphology and magnetic signature, deep-water coral mounds, iceberg scours as well as canyons, gullies and escarpments along and down the slopes of the banks and mounds. This study highlights for the first time the variety and complexity of the seafloor present at the seabed in the Irish Hatton-Rockall basin area