In search of the Malaysian extended continental shelf

Abstract

Over the years, the sovereignty proclamation of Coastal States for their extended continental shelf has been a crucial matter. The declaration and extension of a continental shelf under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea provide significant potential for many developing nations in economics, trades, resource exploitation, communication and security. Hence, the application of satellite altimeter, as one of the solutions for collecting bathymetry data to define the approximate limits of the continental shelf, is reviewed. This paper also discusses the possible significance or contribution of space-derived bathymetry, i.e. the seafloor topography, either independently or harmoniously with different datasets, to meet the element of the Article 76 of UNCLOS.