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Energy, Climate change, Environment

Map of the week - Submerged landscapes

News article |

This week we continue our series about geology and the wonders that we can find underwater by presenting a new map layer on submerged landscapes. 

A variety of marine landscapes, submarine processes and relics of ancient environments can be found in our oceans. Our "Map of the week" explores geological features that few people have the chance to see, such as submerged forests, lagoons, lakes, submerged freshwater springs and subaerial landslides.

The map includes more than 10,000 features representing 26 classes of submerged landscape and palaeoenvironmental indicators that have been collated by the EMODnet Geology team. These landscapes are a response, for example, to changes to sea level, which is known to have fluctuated by more than 100 metres over repeated glacial cycles resulting in recurring exposure, inundations and migration of coastlines not only across Europe, but worldwide.

These features on continental shelves around Europe are an invaluable resource for improving our understanding of human history and environmental change over geological time. These now submerged features are under threat from commercial activities and natural erosion and this kind of map is very useful to bringing together existing knowledge and find solutions to preserve these wonders of nature.

ACCESS THE MAP

Data displayed in this map were provided by EMODnet Geology