The geomorphology of Ireland’s continental shelf

The Irish Shelf Seabed Geomorphological Map (ISSGM) (v2023) presented here, is the first high-resolution geomorphological map of the entire Irish continental shelf. This large-scale mapping exercise took advantage of the vast INFOMAR multibeam echosounder dataset, and used a protocol of semi-automated mapping techniques to accurately and rapidly extract seabed features. All previous mapping efforts and existing literature on the Irish shallow shelf geomorphology have also been collated and integrated in the map, critically evaluating the previous interpretations. An internationally standardised classification scheme was adopted, aligning the ISSGM (v2023) to other international geomorphological work. At a national level, this detailed geomorphological digital map is intended primarily as a resource to better inform multiple offshore activities and management of the marine environment. The map also acts as a baseline for future studies in marine geomorphology, as it identifies gaps in the knowledge and highlights areas of contentious interpretation that require further work. The map is available online on the Irish Marine Atlas (https://atlas.marine.ie – Geology Theme).We present the Irish Shelf Seabed Geomorphological Map (v2023), which represents the first high-resolution geomorphology map of the Irish continental shelf.The map was produced using a protocol of modern machine-assisted mapping techniques to streamline the results.All previous mapping efforts and existing literature on Irish shelf geomorphology have been collated and integrated in the map, critically evaluating the previous interpretations.An internationally standardised geomorphological classification scheme has been adopted, aligning the map to international work.The map is intended firstly as a resource to better inform multiple offshore activities and management of the marine environment on the Irish continental shelf.