| Summary: | Recent discoveries of deep water carbonate reef and mound structures in the North Atlantic have generated a great deal of interest in the genesis of deep-water bioherms and carbonate mounds, especially regarding their possible relationship to hydrocarbon seepage. Carbonate mounds to the west of Ireland are found in the known hydrocarbon province of the northern Porcupine Basin and along both the western and eastern margins of the Rockall Basin. A striking characteristic of these mounds is the water depth in which they occur i.e. 800-1000m. These seabed mounds are also spectacular in their physical size i.e. 10 - 300 m in height, and cover an area of a few 100 m 2 to 3 km 2 . Based on their morphology, internal seismic character and distribution, three major types of seabed mound, and one type of buried mound, have been recognised.This presentation provides an overview of the geometry, morphology and spatial distribution of carbonate mounds west of Ireland and presents preliminary results from an ongoing European Union funded research project GEOMOUND Internal Mound Factory.
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