We present the first detailed bathymetry compilation for the Cape Darnley region in East Antarctica. This region is of interest in several scientific fields as it is a key location for understanding the Cretaceous breakup of central Gondwana, basins on the continental shelf contain valuable paleoenvironmental records, the shelf is an important marine habitat, and the Cape Darnley polynya is one of only four sites of Antarctic Bottom Water production – a cold, dense, nutrient-rich water mass that forms on the continental shelf and sinks to abyssal depths, driving ocean currents around the world. However, oceanographic and ecosystem models in this region are poorly constrained by lack of detailed bathymetry.
Single beam and multibeam bathymetry datasets were compiled from multiple marine science voyages undertaken over several decades. The data were held by several institutes and were of varying quality. The new dataset improves previous regional bathymetric representations and enables visualization of shelf and slope morphology in unprecedented detail. The compilation provides important baseline information underpinning a range of scientific applications. In particular, the bathymetry provides the first detailed insights into potential bottom water transport pathways from the Cape Darnley polynya into the global deep ocean circulation system. Geomorphic interpretation of the bathymetry data provides insights into past glacial dynamics and contemporary seafloor processes.
Presented at the 2023 POLAR 2018 A SCAR & IASC Conference