Nauru, High Resolution Bathymetry Survey Report (ER116)

The Pacific Islands Applied Geoscience Commission, SOPAC, carried out a marine survey in the waters around Nauru.
The survey was carried out on 30 September 2005,
resulting in the acquisition of over 81 km of high-resolution MBES data. The survey achieved 100 % coverage of the seafloor from approximately 50 m depth in the nearshore area to an average offshore distance of 3 km, reaching water depths of some 1800 m. This report describes the activities deployed and results of this high-resolution bathymetric mapping survey of the seabed surrounding the island of Nauru. The report is available for download from its appropriate link under Distribution Info. This work was initiated by the SOPAC/EU Reducing Vulnerability of Pacific ACP States Project.The objective of the surveyed described in the report was to investigate the seabed and provide
information about the nearshore water depths around the island of Nauru using a multibeam echosounder (MBES).Nauru is located 0 degrees 31 South and 166 degrees 56 South. The surveyed area extends from approximately 1 km offshore to the south and west, to a maximum of approximately 4 km to the east. The water depth within the SOPAC/EU survey area around Nauru ranges from 3 to 1735 m.Within the 500 m isobath, or to a distance of approximately 800 m offshore, the submarineslope descends at about 45 (Figure 4 and Figure 5). Beyond this, the seabed deepens tothe maximum at an average gradient of 31 degrees near the seaward limits of the survey area. Locally, the seabed is expected to be quite irregular with gradients expected to be highly variable, ranging from 0 to 80 degrees.