Through the undertaken surveys as part of its environmental impact assessment process, Forewind has extended the depth of knowledge about the geology of Dogger Bank.
Geological maps used prior to Forewind’s work in the area were based on sparse data, gathered tens of kilometres apart in the late 1960s and 1970s.
But since a far greater resolution was required to identify sites for the Dogger Bank wind farms, Forewind spent four years accumulating a huge amount of information via detailed geophysical surveys, seabed sampling and video traverses, geotechnical testing and other surveys.
Through the work it has been understood that the Dogger Bank has a complex geology, both vertically and laterally, as a result of the many different environments that have helped form it over more than 100,000 years. Ice has been key to the development of Dogger Bank, which was once above sea level and with an environment that could be compared to the current tundra conditions in Canada and Russia.
Work will continue on analysis of the data, differentiation of the formations and mapping zones of defined thrusting and faulting, and the area will be subject of a number of PhD thesis.
The operators that will progress the offshore projects on Dogger Bank post-consent will add to the body of data through the further surveys that will be required to create more detailed plans prior to the construction of the wind farms.
More details of the work undertaken by Forewind can be found here .