Arctic GIS Workshop Poster Abstract

22-24 January 2001
Bell Harbor International Conference Center
Seattle, Washington

FramBIS, A Bathymetric Information System for the Fram Strait

Martin Klenke and Hans Werner Schenke
Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research, Po Box 12 01 61, Bremerhaven, D-27515 Germany, Phone: +49/471-4831-1167, Fax: +49/471-4831-1149, mklenke@awi-bremerhaven.de

Multibeam bathymetry is a major reconnaissance tool for marine geological and geophysical surveys. Bathymetry, backscatter intensity and sidescan data are collected as a first stage of subsequent multiparameter surveys. The products derived are used for the interpretation of processes and features on the ocean floor.

The AWI Bathymetry and Geodesy Group manages arctic and antarctic bathymetry data from 18 years of R/V Polarstern cruises, heterogeneous in format, quality and processing stage. GIS plays a major role in the processing of our bathymetry data. However, the manifold kinds of data that we store among the bathymetry (data from GPS, gravimetry, altimetry, etc.) are not yet implemented in a homogeneous database architecture ready for synergistic spatial and temporal queries.

Aim of the FramBIS project is the creation of a high resolution Digital Elevation Model (DEM) and bathymetric chart series of the Fram Strait based on Seabeam and Hydrosweep multibeam data from R/V Polarstern cruises between 1984 and today. The Fram Strait region is part of the extensive arctic ridge system, it's topography thus is of interest for multifarious geological and biological ridge process studies.

Besides the DEM modelling the project serves as a microscale pilot study for a data unification in the afore mentioned sense. Currently we are looking for an adequate data and database model fitting our needs and a suitable client for data query and retrieval. Bringing the data together in an appropriate manner at best raises synergistic potentials for problem solution, at least offers a new, hopefully inspiring view on the data.

Moreover the technical realization of internal and external database access via WWW is simplified. This is particularly important as bathymetry data is a significant basic information for the marine science community. As the global coverage of high resolution bathymetric information is still poor it seems desirable not only to have the global large scale data (e.g. GEBCO, ETOPO5) available via WWW but also data from smaller regions in higher resolution. Our poster describes the use of GIS in our data processing and draws up a plan for a web-based 'Bathymetric Information System' for the Fram Strait with GIS-capabilities for data query, analysis and capture. This system is not yet implemented.