Bathymetry estimation from altimeter - derived gravity data in the Adriatic Sea

Abstract

<p>Bathymetric models representing the topography of the seafloor are an important parameter in almost all maritime related research. Traditional bathymetric shipborne or airborne surveys are cost and/or time consuming, and access to the measured data is mostly limited or expensive. Alternative bathymetric data sources for marine researchers are publicly available bathymetric models whose quality is often unknown and/or uneven. This research presents the study on the bathymetric prediction for the Adriatic Sea from altimetry-derived gravity anomalies and in-situ soundings using the gravity - geologic method (GGM). Bathymetric soundings used to determine the density contrast between seawater and bedrock were derived from nautical charts, EMODnet (European Marine Observation and Data Network) bathymetric grid, and GEBCO (General Bathymetric Chart of the Oceans) One Minute grid. More than 3000 chart soundings distributed across the Adriatic Sea were used to estimate the quality of the predicted bathymetric model as well as the quality of the latest versions of publicly available bathymetric models: DTU10Bat (Technical University of Denmark), GEBCO 2020, EMODnet 2018, ETOPO1, Smith and Sandwell v.19.1, and SRTM (Shuttle Radar Topography Mission) 15+ V.2.1. The results show that the computed model represents an update to bathymetric data in the Adriatic Sea, especially along its eastern coast.</p>