Multibeam Sonar Data collected from the CCGS Amundsen (2003-2018)

The bathymetric dataset is part of the core seabed mapping component of the ArcticNet Research Program : 'Mapping of Arctic Canada's Seafloor: Contributions to Global Change Science, Sustainable Resource Development, Safe Navigation of the Northwest Passage, Geohazards and Arctic Sovereignty'. Acoustic mapping of the seabed topography and shallow subsurface sediments are the prime datasets used by scientists to understand the geological processes shaping the seafloor, assess natural hazards and coastal habitats and reconstruct the history of past climatic changes. The mapping results from this project are applied to several components: 1) identifying geohazards such as submarine landslides, gassy seabeds and sea ice impacts in order to manage risk to both people and the environment in the context of resource development; 2) providing improved navigational charting and alternate shipping lanes in sparsely mapped regions of the Arctic; and 3) designing seabed sampling strategies to recover sediments that will provide information on past climatic history in order to predict future climatic responses and their consequences.