Continental shelf maps could add Egypt-size area to U.S. territory

The United States has unveiled the results of a monumental undersea mapping effort that could add 1 million square kilometers of sea floor—twice the area of California—to its territory. In addition to enabling the U.S. to claim valuable geological and biological resources, particularly in the Arctic, the project has produced a wealth of seafloor data that are fueling a wide range of scientific advances. “It’s just a treasure trove of information,” says marine mapping specialist Derek Sowers of the Ocean Exploration Trust, who has used the data to identify deep-sea habitats that could be rich in biodiversity. The maps have also shed light on the geologic evolution of ocean basins, identified areas at risk of producing submarine mudslides that could trigger tsunamis, and pointed to potential seafloor mineral deposits. “There certainly are a lot of other potential applications,” says geoscientist Larry Mayer of the University of New Hampshire, one leader of the effort. The impetus to make the maps, which were released last month by the U.S. Department of State, came from the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. One provision of that 1982 pact gives a coastal nation the right to claim sea floor that sits outside its exclusive economic zone, which stretches 200 nautical miles offshore, if it can demonstrate that the territory is a “natural prolongation” of its continental shelf. Defining this extended continental shelf (E...
Source: Science of Aging Knowledge Environment - Category: Geriatrics Source Type: research