Joint Irish Bathymetric Survey (JIBS) data

Last updated: 6 October 2010

The coastal and offshore waters off Northern Ireland hold a wealth of archaeological material ranging from individual shipwrecks to prehistoric landscapes submerged by sea-level rise at the end of the last Ice Age. As part of NIEA’s ongoing commitment to this submerged cultural heritage we are working in partnership with researchers at the Centre for Maritime Archaeology, University of Ulster at Coleraine, who have been exploring ways to improve and enhance the management of this resource. One recent initiative utilizes the recently obtained Joint Irish Bathymetric Survey (JIBS) data. This database consists of high-resolution bathymetric (depth) data collected off the north coast of Ireland by the Marine Institute of Ireland and the Marine and Coastguard Agency. The resolution of this data is far greater than any previously collected in this area, allowing the seabed to be visualized in unprecedented detail.

Our initial analysis of this data shows that it has great potential to further research and management of Northern Ireland’s maritime record. For shipwrecks, we now have a tool that can detect metre-scale objects protruding from the seabed which could be indicators for wreck remains as well as providing wider information about the seabed environment. For prehistoric landscapes, the wide coverage and unprecedented detail make possible much more detailed reconstructions of the past geography of the north coast than was ever possible.

Thus far, we have screened the data for unrecorded wrecks and compared it to the existing documentary source-based wreck record in order to verify the positional information of known sites. In the process, we have detected over 300 anomalies which could be the remains of wrecks and updated the positions of 10 of our previously known sites. In addition, we have created reconstructions of the past landscape that have in turn been used to identify submerged areas that have a high potential of containing prehistoric archaeological remains. Even at this early stage, this information provides a valuable management tool in terms of providing a better sense of where archaeological material is situated on the seabed.

Future work will refine and enhance this information. For shipwrecks, we plan to combine geological and hydrodynamic information (e.g. sand or rock substrate, current strength) with the JIBS bathymetric data in order to model the processes impacting on each individual wreck site. For submerged landscapes, the areas of high archaeological potential identified from our landscape reconstructions will subsequently be targeted for geophysical surveys and sampling exercises locate prehistoric archaeological material preserved in the seabed. Ultimately, the improved knowledge of the location of Northern Ireland’s submerged cultural material along with a better understanding of the factors that affect its preservation will greatly aid in our ability to manage it.

For more information contact Kieran Westley (Research Associate in Maritime Archaeology) at kl.westley@ulster.ac.uk

JIBS coverage off the coast of Northern Ireland. Note the difference in detail between the high-resolution JIBS data and the underlying low resolution hydrographic chart.

JIBS data showing the remains of S.S. Lochgarry and an unrecorded wreck off the east coast of Rathlin Island.

Landscape reconstruction of the north coast between of Portrush and the Giant’s Causeway. The black strip denotes the modern coastline bordering the edge of the JIBS data. Sea-levels have been dropped to -20m (such as took place between 13,500-10,000 years ago) exposing an extended coastal lowland.

Note: Click on any of the images above to see the high resolution version.