The European Marine Observation and Data Network (EMODnet) consists of more than 100 organisations assembling marine data, products and metadata to make these fragmented data resources more available to public and private users relying on quality-assured, standardised and harmonised marine data which are interoperable and free of restrictions on use. EMODnet is currently in its fourth phase. BGR participates in the EMODnet Geology theme and is coordinating the “seafloor geology” work package from the beginning. In cooperation with the project partners BGR compiles and harmonises GIS data layers on the topics geomorphology, pre-Quaternary and Quaternary geology and provides those, based on INSPIRE principles, via the EMODnet Geology portal https://www. emodnet-geology.eu/map-viewer/. These map layers present the pre-Quaternary and Quaternary sea-floor geology and Geomorphology of the European Seas, semantically harmonized based on the INSPIRE data specifications including the terms for lithology, age, event environment, event process and geomorphology. The data are compiled from the project partners, the national geological survey organizations of the participating countries. The data set represents the most detailed available data compilation of the European Seas using a multiresolution approach. Data completeness depending on the availability of data and actual mapping campaigns. This open and freely accessible product was made available by the EMODnet Geology project (https://www.emodnet-geology.eu/), implemented by EMODnet Geology Phase IV partners, and funded by the European Commission Directorate General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries. These data were compiled by BGR from the EMODnet IV Geology partners. All ownership rights of the original data remain with the data originators, who are acknowledged within the attribute values of each map feature.
The WMS MSSP-EEZ (INSPIRE) represents marine seismic survey profiles for the German EEZ. During the period from 1996 to 2007 five cruises operated by BGR acquired seismic lines from the German EEZ. The aim of these cruises was a detailed survey of the geological structure of the seabed from the North Sea and Baltic Sea. According to the Data Specification on Geology (D2.8.II.4_v3.0, subtopic Geophysics) the content of the information with respect to the seismic profiles is INSPIRE-compliant. The WMS MSSP-EEZ (INSPIRE) contains for each cruise one layer, e.g. GE.seismicLine.pq2. The expeditions are displayed correspondingly to the INSPIRE portrayal rules. Via the getFeatureInfo request the user obtains the content of the INSPIRE attributes platformType und profileType. Additionally, the WMS contains a campaign layer (GE.2DSeismicSurvey) with the INSPIRE attributes campaignType and surveyType.
During the period from 1996 to 2007 five cruises operated by BGR acquired seismic lines from the German EEZ. The aim of these expeditions was a detailed survey of the geological structure of the seabed from the North Sea and Baltic Sea. The five GML files (for each cruise one) together with a Readme.txt file are provided in ZIP format (MSSP-EEZ-INSPIRE.zip). The Readme.text file (German/English) contains detailed information on the GML files content. Data transformation was proceeded by using the INSPIRE Solution Pack for FME according to the INSPIRE requirements.
The dataset includes the locations of OBS stations (Ocean Bottom Seismometers) operated in the German Bight during cruise MSM100 with R.V. Maria S. Merian. The time interval from 13.05.2021 to 15.05.2021 has been analysed in a phase without airgun operation for passive recording with 4.5 Hz geophones. Furthermore, the dataset contains locations of 3 broadband OBS systems which were operated during an experiment at the Darss ramp in the German Baltic Sea. The records were analysed in the time interval 23.01.2018 to 01.04.2018.
The initial study area of the cruise MSM14/2 GeoNORM (Geophysik im noerdlichen Roten Meer) was the northern Red Sea. However, because of not given research permissions from Egypt and Saudi Arabia, the study area had to be changed to the alternative study area Eratosthenes Seamount (ESM), south of Cyprus. The ESM is supposed to represent a continental fragment of the former African-Arabian Plate that is entering the subduction zone south of Cyprus i.e. the subduction turns into collision in the area of the ESM. This changed the entire tectonic setting in the Eastern Mediterranean. Therefore, the tectonic evolution of the area is rather complex with phases of extension, subduction, compression, salt tectonics and gravitational processes and not comprehensively understood. Because of the isolation of the ESM as a continental fragment this region is an ideal spot to investigate the transition from regular subduction to continental collision and its associated tectonic processes i.e. faults were activated or reactivated, transform motion has to be compensated, the overriding plate has been elevated. This impacts the ongoing geological and tectonic processes in this region but also influences the social and economic life in the Eastern Mediterranean as earthquakes and submarine landslides are possible geohazards and the entering of the ESM to the subduction trench alters the thermal history of the adjacent sedimentary basins significantly what should have an influence on the maturity processes within the source rock sediments and new faults open new migration paths for hydrocarbon fluids or gases.
Within the frame of the comprehensive SPOC project (Subduction Processes off Chile) the SONNE cruises SO161 Leg 2 and 3 have been conducted between October 16th and November 29th, 2001, off central Chile between 28° and 44° S. In that period some 5,300 km were surveyed with multichannel seismic (MCS) reflection, magnetic, gravity, high-resolution bathymetric and echographic methods. In addition, approximately 3,900 km were surveyed with the same spectrum of methods but without MCS. The total number of 2D profiles was 48. Target was the variation of the subduction properties between the convergent oceanic Nazca and continental Southamerica plates and the different conditions that might influence the subduction process as there are: (1) age of the oceanic crust, (2) its structure and composition, (3) its sedimentary cover, (4) its thermal state, (5) the subduction angle and obliquity, and (6) the terrigenous sediment afflux from the continent. Furthermore, special focus was given to the subduction front, the subduction interface, the structure of the slope as well as to the forearc basin structure and history, and the general distribution of gas hydrate indicating bottom simulating reflectors (BSR's). The results are to be compared with previous studies of the Chilean active margin, e.g. CONDOR (SO 101 and 103) and CINCA (SO 104). The SPOC target area was subdivided into three sub-areas A,B and C. One area was chosen for a detailed survey by aid of a narrowly spaced grid and for a close link with a lot of partners. This area is characterized by a distinctly different margin type south of it is assumed. Moreover, the subducting portion of the aseismic Juan Fernandez Ridge is located in that area representing another important target of the survey. Advantageous conditions enabled the survey of an east-west profile south of Chiloé Island, providing a section through the submerged coastal Cordillera into the flooded longitudinal valley. Some results of Leg 2 and 3 are: In all areas A, B and C no subduction bulge (outer high) in the oceanic crust was visible perhaps due to the shortness of the profiles. The sedimentary cover of the oceanic crust is exceptionally thin, and the crustal thickness is generally quite "normal" with around 7 km derived from relatively weak Moho reflections. In area B a so far magnetically unmapped region was filled providing reliable ages of the oceanic crust, and suggesting that the Challenger Fracture Zone abruptly terminates west of the area of investigation. The survey in area C yielded valuable information on the trench morphology. The so far unique MCS profile south of Chiloé island shows a very wide trench and allows to extrapolate the general conditions encountered an area A southward to approximately 44° S. It can be stated that the situation is in sharp contrast to the basin structures detected by industry profiles further north in the Golfo de Corcovado.
During the period from 1974 to 2018 various cruises from BGR acquired seismic lines worldwide. The aim of these marine expeditions was a detailed survey of the geological structure.
The previous BGR-cruises with RV AURELIA in 2003 and 2004 and RV HEINCKE in 2005 and RV ALKOR in 2006 were designed to collect a grid of seismic MCS-data which should enable us to get a high-resolution overview over the upper 1-2 s TWT of the sediments of the German North Sea sector. The data format is Society of Exploration Geophysicists SEG Y. The aim of this cruise was a detailed survey in the north westernmost area of the German EEZ (exclusive economic zone), the so-called ‘Entenschnabel’ and additionally a mapping of special glacial structures off Sylt Island. The cruise was subdivided into two Legs. One outreaching additional aim was to extend the results from the previous cruises for the Late Tertiary and Quaternary sedimentary evolution into the ‘Entenschnabel’-area which was virtually unexplored by systematic shallow high-resolution seismics. During Leg 1 the BGR high-resolution multichannel seismic reflection system consisting of a GI-Gun (0.8 l) and a 500 m streamer with 36 channels and a shallow swath bathymetric system, type SIMRAD EM1200 by Kongsberg, Bergen, Norway were used. While the BGR-seismic system was used to observe the shallow subsurface down to 2 s TWT penetration depth, the swath bathymetric system was used to identify possible pockmark locations as well as sampling positions for the deployment of the BGR vibration corer during the succeeding Leg 2. All seismic records were processed onboard for the quality control and for a first interpretation loaded into GEOQUEST.
The multidisciplinary marine geoscientific expedition ARK-25/3 was focused on the Greenland part of northern Baffin Bay and was aimed to acquire new geoscientific data to be used for modelling the evolution of the Greenland continental margin and its hydrocarbon prospective. The data format is Society of Exploration Geophysicists SEG Y. The cruise was performed under the direction of the Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources Hannover in cooperation with the Alfred-Wegener-Institute for Polar and Marine Research, Bremerhaven. Using 70 days of ship time onboard the research icebreaker R/V POLARSTERN a comprehensive data set was acquired along profiles extending from the deep oceanic basin in the central part of North Baffin Bay onto the Greenland continental margin in an area which was bordered by the Kane Basin in the North and Disko Island in the South. By means of multi-channel seismic, wide angle seismic, gravimetric and magnetic methods the structural inventory of the crust in the NW Baffin Bay was investigated. Additionally, heat flow data and sediment cores were collected along lines crossing the Greenland continental margin. The cores were extracted for geochemical and geomicrobiological analysis to be used for basin modelling, studying the hydrocarbon potential, and the hydrocarbon degradation by microorganisms under polar conditions. Geological sampling in the coastal area was done between Melville Bay and Washington Land. The collected rock material will be used to derive constraints on the erosion history of the coastal area. Aeromagnetic data was acquired covering a substantial part of the marine survey area to investigate magnetic signatures of the oceanic crust and the continental margin. This report summarizes the working programme and contains the documentation of acquired data and first results of the expedition.
This dataset comprises 125,514 submarine bathymetric features derived from the GEBCO_2025 Grid at 15 arc-second resolution (GEBCO Compilation Group, 2025) through computational analysis. Features were identified globally (excluding land areas) using topographic prominence calculation based on the algorithm of Kirmse and de Ferranti (2017), and characterized via isobath analysis. Each feature with prominence ≥300 m is represented as a polygon geometry with five nested contour levels (100%, 90%, 75%, 50%, and 25% from base to peak prominence level) and morphometric attributes including area, circularity, orientation, bounding box dimensions, and slope statistics. A companion point dataset contains all 143,888 detected peaks, including those rejected during quality control. The dataset provides an objective, reproducible global inventory of submarine features for research in marine geology, biodiversity, oeanography, and resource assessment. The attribute-rich structure enables users to define sub-classifications using standard SQL queries (e.g., filtering for seamounts using prominence ≥1000 m and circularity criteria). Data are distributed as OGC-compliant GeoPackage files. Processing was performed in 2025.
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