Detailed shaded relief images of submarine landscapes with indication of depth.

Shaded relief map showing relief on the seabed along with depth indication in blue scale. The map gives a visual understanding of terrain and relative depth, but actual depth values are not available on this map. Only certain coastal areas, where there are bathymetry data from detailed mapping, are represented.

The dataset consists of over 62 000 data points, obtained during hydrographic surveys in fjords and coastal areas of Norway from Barents Sea in north to Oslofjord in south. Data points provide an indication of which type of sediment can be expected on the bottom (for example, whether it is coarse grained or fine grained). The distribution of seabed sediments is closely related to the physical conditions and tells about the submarine landscape, currents, waves and sedimentary processes.

Seabed sediments (genesis) describes the geological processes behind deposition of the sediments in the uppermost 1-2 m of the seabed. The map is equivalent to Quaternary maps on land. The dataset series comprise three datasets: Seabed sediments (genesis), overview, Seabed sediments (genesis), regional and Seabed sediments (genesis), detailed. The three individual datasets are digitized in different scales and have different data coverage.

The dataset provides an overview of the dominant sedimentation environment in the mapped area. This is an interpretation of the processes that prevail on and near the seabed in terms of erosion, transport and deposition of sediments. Based on information about the sedimentatary environment, other thematic maps can be developed, such as bottom currents, sediment transport, pollution distribution, etc.

Modelled distribution of marine biotopes in Astafjord, Sør-Troms.