Topo-hydrographic survey of Terceira Island

Have you ever wondered why the name "Biscoitos" is given to the region north of Terceira Island, in the Azores archipelago?

This designation arose because the rock structures that make up the coastline of the region, and which are the result of volcanic activity of the past, literally resemble to... Biscuits.

The presence of these volcanic structures (black basalt) along the coast of Terceira island it's nothing new, however the work carried out by the military of the Hydrographic Brigade and the four students of the Specialization Course in Hydrography and Oceanography, between July 5 and August 12, taught by the Hydrographic Institute of the Portuguese Navy, allowed the mapping of the "biscuits" present in the bottom of the sea, from the coastline to its extinction along the continental shelf.

Given that most of the bathymetric information available to date came from measurements made more than fifty years ago with plumb wire, the use of a multibeam sonar allowed the complete mapping of the island's coastal edge, with high resolution, leading to the discovery of new underwater structures resulting from the seismic and volcanic activity of the region that until now were unknown.

This work allowed not only to increase the knowledge of the seabed of the region from the scientific point of view but also to add information relevant to the safety of navigation in the area, thus contributing to the Portuguese increasingly and safer using the sea, contemplating more closely the natural beauty of our marine areas.

Here are some images (in and out of water) captured during the work carried out by the Hydrographic Brigade on the Azorean seabed.