Extended Continental Shelf Project Data Management

Data Analysis Methodology

In general, the methodology and criteria for analyzing the data to determine an ECS requires experts in both scientific and legal fields to review the data and produce analyses that incorporate three essential factors. Those factors include determining the foot of the slope (FOS), applying the sediment thickness and bathymetric formulas, and applying the constraints to a shelf's extent.

The FOS, absent evidence to the contrary, is the line along the base of the slope where the gradient of the seafloor undergoes its maximum change. Guidelines do not specify a specific method for determining the FOS, only that coastal States must clearly document the methods and sources used.

The FOS in turn serves as the point of departure for two optional formula lines, one based on sediment thickness, and the other based on bathymetry. A coastal State may use either of these formulas or any combination of them to maximize the extent of its ECS.

The FOS in turn serves as the point of departure for two optional formula lines, one based on sediment thickness, and the other based on bathymetry. A coastal State may use either of these formulas or any combination of them to maximize the extent of its ECS.

Figure 3: A coastal State may determine the outer limit of its ECS using one of two optional formula lines-one is based on sediment thickness and the other is based on bathymetry. The sediment thickness formula employs a line where the thickness of the sediment is at least one percent of the distance landward from the FOS. The bathymetric formula uses FOS plus 60 nautical miles (Diagram from a powerpoint presented by Thomas Heider, Legal Advisor, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Iceland, July 2006).