SPMPLAC
| Type | Service |
|---|---|
| Ship | Le Suroît |
| Ship owner | Ifremer |
| Dates | 04/07/2011 - 22/07/2011 |
| Chief scientist(s) | ROEST Walter  |
GEO-OCEAN - UMR 6538 Univ. Brest, CNRS, Ifremer, Univ. Bretagne Sud Place Nicolas Copernic 29280 Plouzané |
|
| DOI | 10.17600/11020060 |
| Objective | Under the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), ratified by France in 1996, coastal states have the possibility of extending the areas under their jurisdiction beyond the boundaries of the exclusive economic zone (200 nautical miles). These seaward extensions can be claimed on the continental shelf (seabeds and subsoil) adjacent to their coasts, providing that a number of geological, morphological and geophysical requirements are proven. The claims filed will be examined by a specialized United Nations commission. In May 2009, France submitted a preliminary file to the Secretary General of the UN for the extension of the continental shelf off Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon. The SPMPLAC cruise is set up for the acquisition of geophysical data needed to prepare the full claim for the extension of the continental shelf off Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon: the major objectives are thus to acquire multibeam bathymetry, seismic (reflection and refraction) and magnetic data. The related program is EXTRAPLAC. |
