Currently Designated Irish Continental Shelf; Irish Exclusive Economic Zone; Irish Territorial Sea; Irish Contiguous Zone; Irish Internal Waters

Date and time; Sound velocity and travel time in the water column

Sound velocity sensors

A Sound Velocity Profile (SVP) shows the speed of sound in water at different vertical levels. SVP coverage includes the greater North Atlantic Ocean, Celtic Sea and Irish Sea. SVP data has been generated under the INFOMAR programme and previously under the Irish National Seabed Survey (INSS) since 2000. SVP data under the INFOMAR programme collected using a SVP profiler dropped into the water. SVP data has been used to generate a profile which is entered into the multi-beam echosounder (MBES) equipment that subsequently corrects the data for the effects of changes in water properties with depth. SVP data was collected during INFOMAR multi-beam surveying for calibration purposes to support ground-truthing of the bathymetric and backscatter data collection. SVP data collected and managed by chief scientist on board research vessel survey usually a specialist from the Geological Survey of Ireland or the Marine Institute (Ireland) depending on the survey. SVP data coverage more than 50% complete for the Currently Designated Irish Continental Shelf. Incomplete coverage is mainly the shallower waters of the North Atlantic Ocean west of Ireland, the Celtic Sea to the south of Ireland and the Irish Sea and Saint Georges Channel between Ireland and Wales.

Geological Survey Ireland
Block 1, Booterstown Hall, Booterstown Avenue
Booterstown
Co. Dublin
A94 N2R6
Ireland