Evaluation of the horizontal accuracy on the 1% sediment thickness points used to define the outer limit of the continental shelf

The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) [7] presents the criteria that the Coastal State has to follow in order to establish the outer limits of its continental shelf. The Commission of the Limits of the Continental Shelf published the document CLCS/1 on May 13, 2009, which describes the guidelines that the Coastal State must adopt and follow for the construction of their continental shelf outer limits. The criterion of 1% sediment was applied on some part of the Brazilian continental margin to determine the outer limits of the continental shelf. The development of the methodology took into account a base composed of multichannel seismic reflection and refraction seismic data. Multi-channel reflection seismic data accounted for the largest contribution to the database. This work has the purpose to present an approach evaluation of the horizontal uncertainties associated with points of 1% sediment thickness obtained from the conversion of thickness of sediment measured in two-way travel time reflection (mili-seconds) recorded in the seismic multichannel reflection section into thickness measured in depth (meter). The results indicate that the points of 1% sediment thickness used in the Southern part of the Brazilian Southern Continental Margin (BCSM) are entitled with the guidelines of the CLCS / 11.