Redrawing The Maps Of The Ocean Floor

Under Article 76 of the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, nations have rights to ocean floor on the continental shelf within 200 nautical miles of their shores. But countries can petition the commission that oversees the UNCLOS to extend that range based on “natural prolongations” of the continental shelf—a process as confusing as it sounds, given the vague construction of the provision and the commission’s secretive deliberations. Based on oceanographic information submitted by nations making claims to underwater territory, the commission redraws maps of the sea floor.

One hundred and fifty-five countries have ratified the treaty, but the Senate has repeatedly ignored the convention despite a successful 1994 re-negotiation altering deep-sea mining rules first opposed by the Reagan administration. An isolationist attitude in the Senate against the international law—which the defense sector, the oil and gas industry, and environmental groups all agree should be ratified—has prevailed despite the fact that the U.S. has been complying with the treaty’s provisions for decades.

In extensive coverage, Nature (subscription) explains the geology underlying the Russian claim that the Lomonosov ridge that extends under the Arctic sea is one such “natural prolongation,” despite the fact that territory claimed by the country extends hundreds of nautical miles beyond its established exclusive economic zone. During an August 2007 expedition—possibly to gather samples in support of the claim—a Russian Mir submarine planted a flag on the ocean floor, grabbing international headlines and igniting debate about national sovereignty over the Arctic sea floor. Shortly afterwards, the U.S., Canada, Denmark, and Norway made claims to territory under the Arctic waves—and the Senate convened hearings on UNCLOS.

Seed Magazine coverage points out that ratification would give the U.S. sovereign claim to resources including “an estimated value of $1.3 trillion in minerals, oil, and fish.” But oceanographers are also concerned about the ecological impact of drilling and mining that will tear trenches in the floor and pump oil back to shore. Moreover, much of the Earth’s oceans remain unexplored and uncharted. Ratification of the UNCLOS would allow the U.S. to help preserve new frontiers for scientific exploration and conservation before mining companies plant their flags.

Image credit: UT Perry-Castaneda Library

Tags: oceanography

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