Continental Shelf Limits: The Scientific and Legal Interface

Article 76 of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea lays down the rules and regulations governing claims to a continental shelf beyond 200 nautical miles for the 130 coastal states and entities that have ratified or acceded to it. This book is designed to help those coastal states implement the provisions of Article 76, covering the technical issues involved and explaining the interface between the legal concepts contained within the article. It covers all aspects that will have to be considered by a coastal state if it wishes to make a claim under the Convention, including the characteristics of continental margins, distance determination, bathymetric data collection, geological and geophysical techniques, and boundary conditions. The book does not set out to support a particular or potential claim.