EMODnet Bathymetry, an initiative of the European Commission, is pleased to announce the release of the latest version of the EMODnet Bathymetry Digital Terrain Model (DTM). With over 33,000 individual tiles downloaded in 2020, this bathymetric product is already widely used in a whole range of applications, from marine science to sustainable ocean governance and blue economy activities. The product benefited from significant developments and expert inputs in 2020, including new data gathering, reprocessed data, thorough selection of the best data source and use of innovative bathymetric sensors such as satellite derived bathymetry.
It allows users to visualise bathymetric features with greater detail, in addition to providing a powerful 3D visualisation functionality covering all European seas, the Arctic and Barents Sea, and greater accuracy along European coastlines, thanks to the integration of both in water and satellite datasets. It is available for free for viewing and downloading, from the EMODnet Bathymetry portal.
This improved DTM provides users with even greater resolution and coverage of bathymetry which are used in real-life settings such as improving society’s ability to forecast storm surges, lowering the risks of damage to coastal and offshore installations and increasing public safety. EMODnet Bathymetry is now the place to go for oceanographers in providing a base geometry for hydrodynamic models, for marine geologists studying morphological processes, and for biologists and conservation managers who require trusted and high-quality seabed habitat maps, which rely on accurate and high-resolution bathymetry. It also supports a wide range of marine and maritime activities, including the Blue Economy, from the marine dredging sector to the planning of pipeline trajectories, locations of offshore wind farms and planning of harbour extensions. It is available here: www.emodnet-bathymetry.eu
