Editorial: Frontiers in marine geomorphometry

Marine geomorphometry is the science of quantitative terrain characterization applied to the seabed. Like many geospatial applications, techniques used for marine geomorphometry have been sourced from the terrestrial sciences. Through progress in the fields of seabed mapping, marine geomorphology, benthic habitat mapping, and marine ecology, scientists have realized new and unique requirements for characterizing the seafloor terrain. Simultaneously, great advances in seafloor mapping technologies have revolutionized our capacity to map the oceans in high detail. The widespread uptake of swath mapping technologies – namely, multibeam echosounders – enables the production of spatially continuous high-resolution bathymetric surfaces, akin to those produced using electromagnetic remote sensing on land. In parallel, new methods for satellite-derived bathymetry and the increasing availability of bathymetric LiDAR products provide new digital surface models of underwater coastal environments. These innovations, coupled with the unique data requirements of marine science, provide opportunities for innovation within the burgeoning field of marine geomorphometry. This Research Topic on Frontiers in Marine Geomorphometry is a forum through which to communicate the latest innovations within this field. Here, we invited contributions addressing all aspects of geomorphometry that introduce new knowledge or approaches to improve understanding of seafloor environments – from the coast to the abyss. The United Nations has declared 2021-2030 the Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development, and corresponding efforts to map the global oceans have accelerated greatly. The influx of ocean data creates unprecedented opportunities to study and characterize the seafloor. Our goal in establishing this Research Topic was to support the dissemination of novel approaches and applications of quantitative analysis of seafloor mapping datasets to enhance our ability to understand, monitor, and manage the oceans.