Abstract
Geomorphic information is a fundamental reference for the physical processes of land and sea formation and is a baseline in space and time for describing characteristics of the Earth's surface. In contrast to a long history of topographic mapping of land, technological advances in detailed seafloor mapping and regional compilation of larger scale maps and charts have only been achieved with the swath bathymetric technique, or multi-narrow beam echo sounders, within the last several decades. Japan's national Extended Continental Shelf (ECS) Survey, complying with UNCLOS, or United Nations Convention of the Law of the Sea, has produced an almost full-coverage, high-resolution bathymetric database of Japanese waters, as well as related geological and geophysical information. Details are discussed on the primary importance of high-resolution bathymetric data supported by geoscientific evidence and proofs, as exemplified in Japanese ECS Submission, in practicing UNCLOS.
