Compilation of depth data increases knowledge of the Arctic seabed
The seabed of the Arctic Ocean is still largely unknown. But over the past four years, a seabed area three times the size of Sweden has been mapped. A significant part of the work has been carried out by Swedish researchers on the icebreaker Oden.
Scientists from a large number of countries have recently published an article in the journal Nature Scientific Data in which they present IBCAO 5.0, a compilation of depth data from the Arctic Ocean. The mapping of the seabed, which has taken place within the global consortium The Nippon Foundation-GEBCO Seabed 2030 Project, represents a significant improvement compared to the previous depth model IBCAO 4.0 (The International Bathymetric Chart of the Arctic Ocean).
The update means that an additional 1.4 million square kilometres of mapped seabed area has been incorporated into IBCAO, which corresponds to over three times the surface of Sweden. Before the update, 15 per cent of the Arctic Ocean seafloor was mapped, but now the proportion mapped is around 25 per cent. However, this means that depth data is missing for almost 75 per cent.
Important for internet cables on the seabed
Martin Jakobsson is Professor of Marine Geology and Geophysics and Vice President at Stockholm University. He has led the work on IBCAO since the first version was published in 1999 and is one of the leading researchers in the Seabed 2030 project and lead author of the article. According to Martin Jakobsson, the new depth model can not only lead to groundbreaking advances in research but also form the basis for infrastructure projects.
“These models are crucial for mapping, numerical modelling and advanced analyses of the seabed. Without our compilations of depth data over the Arctic Ocean, we would not be able to carry out the extensive analyses required, for example, to identify optimal routes for internet cables across the Arctic Ocean.
According to Martin Jakobsson, IBCAO has been crucial to their work within the EU-funded initiative Polar Connect, where his research group works on behalf of the Swedish Polar Research Secretariat, the Swedish Research Council (via Sunet), NORDUnet, the Technical University of Denmark and GlobalConnect, are investigating the conditions for faster and more robust interconnection of network traffic between Europe and Asia.
Icebreaker Oden essential for the work
Mapping the seabed in the Arctic Ocean is a huge challenge, mainly due to thick sea ice and extreme weather conditions. Powerful icebreakers are essential. One such vessel is the Swedish state icebreaker Oden, which has been carrying out expeditions in the Arctic Ocean since 1991 – most recently in the summer of 2024.
In the summer of 2024, Oden was the platform for the GEOEO expedition in the ocean off north-west Greenland. The expedition, led by Martin Jakobsson and Nina Kirchner, Professor of Glaciology at Stockholm University, mapped a total area of about 4,500 square kilometres, equivalent to 1.4 times the size of the Swedish island Gotland. Much of the area was completely uncharted water. Oden is also the only ship to have entered two of the largest fjords in northern Greenland, where the large outlet glaciers Ryder and C.H. Ostenfeld end.
Of the mapped area in the ice-covered central part of the Arctic Ocean, 7.4 per cent has been mapped from Oden.
Read article in the journal Nature Scientific Data
The Nippon Foundation-GEBCO Seabed 2030 Project
The goal of The Nippon Foundation-GEBCO Seabed 2030 Project is to create a complete map of the seafloor by 2030, offering an unprecedented level of detail for the Arctic Ocean. This will also provide vital insights for researchers and policymakers, contributing to safer navigation and more effective ocean exploration.
Established in 1997, The International Bathymetric Chart of the Arctic Ocean (IBCAO) is the authoritative source of bathymetry for the Arctic Ocean. The latest version – published in Scientific Data by Nature – representing a quantum leap in detail, with a grid-cell size of 100 x 100 meters, compared to 200 x 200 meters in the previous version.
All data collected and shared with the Seabed 2030 project will be included in the free and publicly available GEBCO global grid.
Last updated: February 5, 2025
Source: Communications Office