The United States and Canada will work together on a scientific mapping project of the Arctic seafloor that is also aimed at extending their borders. Both countries are trying to prove that their continental shelves extend beyond the 200 nautical-mile economic zone.
The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea establishes the country boundary at the end of the continental shelf. Canada has passed the treaty, but the United States still has not, although it’s moving forward with mapping work. Canada has also forged a joint-mapping arrangement with Denmark for the Lomonosov Ridge, which is off the coasts of Ellesmere Island and Greenland.
The joint-research and mapping expedition will head north late this summer to explore the Canada Basin, which is located north of the Beaufort Sea. The Canadian team will use seismic equipment to determine the thickness of sedimentary layers in the seabed, and will aim to determine where the continental shelf ends.
Read more about this project in this CBC Story.
