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Bathymetry and Seafloor Mapping
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Bathymetry and Seafloor Mapping

A special issue of Journal of Marine Science and Engineering (ISSN 2077-1312). This special issue belongs to the section "Geological Oceanography".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (25 April 2026) | Viewed by 1211

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Ziyin Wu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
State Key Laboratory of Submarine Geoscience, Second Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resources, Hangzhou 310012, China
Interests: seafloor mapping; submarine geomorphology; underwater target recognition; seafloor sediment classification
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The seafloor remains one of Earth's latest frontiers, a vast and complex domain whose topography and geomorphic processes are fundamental to oceanic and climatic systems. From modulating global carbon cycles to sustaining unique ecosystems, the seafloor exerts a profound influence on the planet. Yet, despite its importance, much of it remains unmapped or poorly resolved.

This Special Issue, "Bathymetry and Seafloor Mapping" is dedicated to showcasing the recent advances in submarine geoscience and geospatial technology. Our aim is to collate high-quality research that harnesses novel seafloor mapping techniques, advanced bathymetric data analysis, and automated classification methods to illuminate the patterns and processes shaping the seafloor.

The field is undergoing a rapid transformation driven by the integration of cutting-edge developments, including high-resolution seafloor mapping, multi-source bathymetric data fusion, seafloor topography restoration and enhancement, intelligent seafloor sediment classification, and AI-assisted autonomous target recognition. By highlighting these interdisciplinary innovations, this collection aims to advance our understanding of submarine geomorphic evolution, from dynamic coastal zones to the deepest hadal trenches.

We welcome original research and comprehensive review articles that present innovative methodologies, new geomorphic insights or compelling case studies that expand the scientific frontiers of seafloor characterization.

Prof. Dr. Ziyin Wu
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Journal of Marine Science and Engineering is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • seafloor topography and geomorphology
  • advances in seafloor bathymetric data analysis and mining
  • seafloor mapping techniques
  • seafloor-sediment classification
  • submarine geomorphic processes and evolution
  • underwater target recognition

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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20 pages, 21680 KB  
Article
Elastic Lithospheric Thickness and Its Controlling Factors in the Dual-Subduction System of Taiwan
by Hengzhou Meng, Guangliang Yang, Hongbo Tan, Sheng Liu, Ziheng Chen and Tianxiang Zhou
J. Mar. Sci. Eng. 2026, 14(10), 911; https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse14100911 - 14 May 2026
Viewed by 251
Abstract
The tectonic setting of Taiwan and its surrounding regions is characterized by the complex interaction between the northwest-oriented Ryukyu subduction zone and the east-oriented Manila subduction zone. Within this subduction framework, the elastic thickness of the lithosphere (Te) serves as a [...] Read more.
The tectonic setting of Taiwan and its surrounding regions is characterized by the complex interaction between the northwest-oriented Ryukyu subduction zone and the east-oriented Manila subduction zone. Within this subduction framework, the elastic thickness of the lithosphere (Te) serves as a critical parameter for elucidating the mechanical behavior of the area. In this study, we employed the admittance–correlation method to estimate Te values across Taiwan and adjacent territories. The findings indicate that sedimentary loading results in an overestimation of the maximum Te by approximately 50 km; after adjustment, the Te values range from 0 to 60 km throughout the study area. On Taiwan, Te values predominantly lie between 20 and 30 km, decreasing to 10–20 km near the margins adjacent to the Ryukyu and Manila subduction fronts. The Philippine Sea Plate exhibits comparatively higher Te values, ranging from 40 to 65 km. The spatial distribution of Te broadly corresponds with major tectonic subdivisions. Statistical analyses reveal a weak negative correlation between Te and surface heat flow (r = −0.44) and a weak positive correlation with shear-wave velocity anomalies at a depth of 100 km (r = 0.22), suggesting that the thermal structure exerts only a moderate influence on lithospheric strength in this region. Nonetheless, within oceanic crustal domains, the relationship between Te and oceanic crustal age largely adheres to models of crustal cooling and lithospheric thickening, consistent with isotherm depths of approximately 200–400 °C. Additionally, dynamic topography associated with slab subduction may locally diminish Te by up to 25 km. Cross-sectional profiles through northern Taiwan and the Philippine Sea block reveal pronounced coupling between subduction geometry and Te distribution. The observed spatial patterns of Te reflect the mechanical imprint of prolonged tectonic evolution, with the orientation of Te gradients generally aligned with the direction of maximum principal compressive stress. Collectively, these results suggest that subduction geometry and tectonic processes are important factors influencing the spatial variability and evolutionary trajectory of lithospheric strength in Taiwan and its environs. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bathymetry and Seafloor Mapping)
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25 pages, 21577 KB  
Article
Morphological Reconstruction Based on Optical Images for the Seabed Semi-Buried Polymetallic Nodules: A Fusion Model of Elliptic Approximation and Contour Interweaving Methods
by Xiang Meng, Kehong Yang, Mingwei Wang, Qian Yu, Jihong Shang and Ziyin Wu
J. Mar. Sci. Eng. 2026, 14(3), 257; https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse14030257 - 26 Jan 2026
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 501
Abstract
Polymetallic nodules enriched in Mn, Ni, Cu, Co, and other metals may be one of the first seabed mineral resources to be exploited. Although optical imagery is crucial for resource evaluation, semi-buried nodules are frequently overlooked. To address this, we propose a framework [...] Read more.
Polymetallic nodules enriched in Mn, Ni, Cu, Co, and other metals may be one of the first seabed mineral resources to be exploited. Although optical imagery is crucial for resource evaluation, semi-buried nodules are frequently overlooked. To address this, we propose a framework that integrates the elliptic approximation method (EAM) and the contour interweaving method (CIM) to reconstruct three types of semi-buried nodules segmented by U-Net: edge-buried, partition-buried, and almost-completely-buried. This strategy introduced a decision-making mechanism based on category fusion, which significantly enhanced the robustness and practicality of the reconstruction. Performance was assessed using four metrics: area ratio, absolute percentage change, intersection-over-union, and Chamfer distance. Among 1785 samples, the EAM recovered up to 41.8% of lost area, which substantially improved the minimum values of area ratio and intersection-over-union, and it performed well on almost-completely-buried nodules. The CIM achieved median area ratio and intersection-over-union values of 99.37% and 93.36%, respectively, and excelled in edge-buried and partition-buried types. Fusion experiments demonstrated the complementary strengths of both approaches: 23.96% of buried area was recovered in large-scale imagery recognized by U-Net. The proposed framework balances accuracy, adaptability, and computational efficiency, which enables real-time nodule identification on platforms with limited resources such as autonomous underwater vehicles. This could provide more direct support for resource evaluation and mining applications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bathymetry and Seafloor Mapping)
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