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

Date and time; Sediment grain size parameters; Sediment age; Sedimentary structure; Horizontal spatial co-ordinates

Sediment grabs; sediment dredges

INFOMAR Particle Size Analysis stations represent locations where sediment grab samples have been taken and analysed by a survey geologist. Sedimentological sample coverage includes the greater North Atlantic Ocean, Celtic Sea and Irish Sea. Sediment grabs have been collected during the INFOMAR programme and previously under the Irish National Seabed Survey (INSS) since 2000. Sediments are grabbed from the seabed via deploying a sediment grab sampler from the survey research vessel. Sediments are analysed in a specialised geologic laboratory onshore after survey. Particle size and type analysis supports greater understanding of the properties of the seabed being mapped. Sediment samples managed by the Geological Survey Ireland chief scientist geologist. Sediment sample coverage follows survey coverage and is more than 50% complete for the Currently Designated Irish Continental Shelf. Incomplete sediment sample 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 Great Britain.

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