Geomorphological Data from Detonation Craters in the Fehmarn Belt, German Baltic Sea

Military munitions from World War I and II dumped at the seafloor are a threat to the marine environment and its users. Decades of saltwater exposure make the explosives fragile and difficult to dispose of. If required, the munition is blast-in-place. In August 2019, 42 ground mines were detonated in a controlled manner underwater during a NATO maneuver in the German Natura2000 Special Area of Conservation Fehmarn Belt, the Baltic Sea. In June 2020, four detonation craters were investigated with a multibeam echosounder for the first time. This dataset is represented here as maps of bathymetry, slope angle, and height difference to the surrounding. The circular craters were still clearly visible a year after the detonation. The diameter and depth of the structures were between 7.5-12.6 m and 0.7-2.2 m, respectively. In total, about 321 m(2) of the seafloor was destroyed along the track line.

Automated summary

Military munitions dumped at the seafloor from World War I and II pose a threat to the marine environment and users. The explosives become fragile and difficult to dispose of due to decades of exposure to saltwater. Recent underwater detonations of mines during a military exercise resulted in visible craters that caused destruction along the seafloor.