Bathymetry is defined as the underwater depth of the floor of water bodies, such as oceans and seas as well as lakes and rivers. In other terms, it is the relief map of underwater land.
Bathymetry is relevant to the fields of oceanography, marine geology, marine biology and also climatology. Bathymetry maps allow the analysis of the morphology of underwater floor and temporal layers can be used to quantify changes. For example, bathymetry is useful for quantifying beach erosion or sea-level rise. It is therefore an important variable when studying climate change and its impact on the environment.
Bathymetry is estimated from sounding using sonar devices. The depth of the underwater floor is determined by the time lapse between the moment of wavelength emission by the sonar and the moment of wavelength returning to the sonar.
Unit: meters (negative values)
Available products over Wales: