Seeing the Seafloor: Discoveries of the RVIB Nathaniel B. Palmer Multibeam Systems

• Main Authors: Julia S. Wellner, Frank O. Nitsche, Philip Bart, Suzanne O'Hara, Kathleen Gavahan
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: The Oceanography Society 2012
• Subjects: Antarctica; seafloor; multibeam swath mapping; Nathaniel B. Palmer; Oceanography; GC1-1581; Antarctic; The Antarctic; Antarc*
• Online Access: https://doaj.org/article/30c21593f13b47c2842c5f432691847e

The detailed seafloor topography around Antarctica was virtually unknown until RVIB Nathaniel B. Palmer and other ships started to collect multibeam swath measurements in the 1990s. These new, high-resolution bathymetric data allowed the creation of topographic maps of the Antarctic continental shelf and rise with unprecedented detail. The multibeam data revealed glacial morphological features that allowed reconstruction of paleo-ice flow and maximum ice extent of the formerly glaciated continental margin. Furthermore, these data provided the basis for new insights into the continent's tectonic evolution and defined the nature of marine biological habitats in polar regions.