Geological Characterization of Offshore Wind Energy Areas on the Scotian Shelf

The Scotian Shelf offshore Nova Scotia has emerged as a region of significant interest for largescale offshore wind development, with four designated Wind Energy Areas (WEAs): French Bank, Middle Bank, Sable Island Bank, and Sydney Bight. These WEAs are notable for their exceptional spatial extent, variable water depths, and complex geological history shaped through glacial processes, sea level fluctuations, and post-glacial marine reworking. This paper synthesises publicly available geological data to provide an integrated desktop assessment of seabed and sub-seabed conditions across the Nova Scotia WEAs. Particular attention is given to surficial sediment distribution, shallow stratigraphy, bedrock exposure, glacial landforms, and geological hazards such as shallow gas and challenging minerology. The implications of these conditions for offshore wind foundation concepts, cable installation, and development strategy are discussed. The analysis highlights that while large portions of the WEAs are broadly suitable for offshore wind development, spatial heterogeneity in seabed conditions will strongly influence site selection, turbine layout optimization, and engineering design. Early-stage geological understanding is, therefore, critical to de-risk development and to identify viable sub-areas within these exceptionally large lease zones.