International Bathymetric Chart of the Arctic Ocean (IBCAO)

The goal of this initiative is to develop a digital data base that contains all available bathymetric data north of 64 degrees North, for use by mapmakers, researchers, and others whose work requires a detailed and acurate knowledge of the depth and the shape of the Arctic seabed.Initiated in 1997, this undertaking has so far engaged the volunteer efforts of investigators who are affiliated with eleven institutions in eight countries: Canada, Denmark, Germany, Iceland, Norway, Russia, Sweden, and the USA. The activity has also been endorsed and/or supported financially by the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC), the International Arctic Science Committee (IASC), the International Hydrographic Organization (IHO), the US Office of Naval Research (ONR), and the US National Geophysical Data Center (NGDC).Version 1.0 of the IBCAO Grid is available for dowloading, along with bathymetric contours in digital vector form and an updated version of the Map that is suitable for plotting. We'd appreciate feedback on how to improve these products, along with information that would help us obtain new data sets for enhancing the IBCAO data base.