DTI Strategic Environmental Assessment Area 5 (SEA5) : seabed and superficial geology and processes

This report is the product of a desk study by the British Geological Survey (BGS) in response to a contract from Geotek Ltd to report on the seabed and superficial geology and geological processes in the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Strategic Environment Assessment area 5 (SEA5). The programme of DTI Strategic Environmental Assessment is aimed at assessing the possible impacts of offshore developments prior to new licensing rounds. In the summer of 2003 the DTI carried out new surveys in order to collect environmental information in 6 project areas in SEA5 and 2 project areas in SEA4. The review areas for this report, including the new DTI 2003 surveys, are illustrated below. The data from the DTI 2003 survey included multi-beam bathymetry, sidescan sonar, seismic-reflection profiles, sea-floor photographs and samples. The principal aim of this work has been to produce a summary technical report on the seabed and superficial sediments based on an integration of the 2003 survey results with the pre-existing geological reports, maps and other publications in the scientific press.