How are the outer limits of the ECS determined?
The process to determine the outer limits of a State’s ECS involves the collection and analysis of data that describe the depth, shape, and geophysical characteristics of the seabed and sub-sea floor, as well as the thickness of the underlying sediments. The specific types of data that may need to be collected include: bathymetric data, seismic reflection and refraction data, and other geophysical data such as magnetic and gravity data, and physical samples and cores from the seafloor. A coastal State may use any combination of two formulas provided under Article 76 so as to maximize the extent of its ECS. One formula is based on morphology alone, while the other uses a combination of morphology and sediment thickness. Article 76, however, mandates two cutoff lines that, like the two formulas, can be implemented in any combination when determining the limits of an ECS, whichever is more beneficial to the coastal State. The first is based on bathymetry and limits an ECS to 100 nautical
