Simultaneous Operation of the Sea Beam Multibeam Echo-Sounder and the SeaMARC II Bathymetric Sidescan Sonar System
Abstract
An experiment aboard the Scripps Institution of Oceanography's RV Thomas Washington has demonstrated the seafloor mapping advantages to be derived from combining the high-resolution bathymetry of a multibeam echo-sounder with the sidescan acoustic imaging plus wide-swath bathymetry of a shallow-towed bathymetric sidescan sonar. To a void acoustic interference between the ship's 12-kHz Sea Beam multibeam echo-sounder and the 11-12-kHz SeaMARC II bathymetric sidescan sonar system during simultaneous operations, Sea Beam transmit cycles were scheduled around SeaMARC II timing events with a sound source synchronization unit originally developed for concurrent single-channel seismic, Sea Beam, and 3.5-kHz profile operations. The scheduling algorithm implemented for Sea Beam plus SeaMARC II operations is discussed, and the initial results showing their combined seafloor mapping capabilities are presented.
Department
Center for Coastal and Ocean Mapping
Publication Date
4-1990
Volume
15
Journal Title
IEEE Journal of Oceanic Engineering
Pages
84-94
Publisher Place
Washington DC, USA
Publisher
IEEE
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
10.1109/48.50693
Document Type
Journal Article
Recommended Citation
C. de Moustier, P. F. Lonsdale, and A. N. Shor, "Simultaneous operation of the sea beam multibeam echo-sounder and the SeaMARC II bathymetric sidescan sonar system," IEEE Journal of Oceanic Engineering, vol. 15, no. 2, pp. 84–94, Apr. 1990.