SEABED FEATURES FROM A SIDE SCAN SONAR SURVEY AT NORTH OF ANTIMILOS ISLAND

The side scan sonar is the main tool for deep marine archaeology research but is also equaled significant in mapping of underwater geophysical features. Ancient and modern shipwrecks can be located with the correct translation of sonar records in conjunction with visual inspection. During a short but difficult side scan sonar survey (for documentary film purposes) in searching for the shipwreck HERAKLION (without results), at the sea area north of Antimilos island (South Aegean Sea, Greece), we recorded two interesting targets as well as geological features like mass flows, small scarps and pockmarks. The surface sediments are instable due to varieties of slopes and the pockmarks as seabed depressions indicating, with or without hydrothermal venting, volcanic activity and/or seismic activity.