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BATHYMETRIC AND GEOPHYSICAL SURVEYING

Modern bathymetric surveying dictates the use of Multibeam Systems, with varying models and configurations according to the goal of the project (from ultra high resolution in coastal areas down to full ocean depth). Among several manufacturers, Kongsberg-Simrad products are the state-of-the-art of such systems. The swath coverage can reach as much as 7 times the water depth, 3.5 times the water depth being normal. Analysis of backscatter information from the sonar data also provides reflectivity data from the sea bottom. During the multibeam data acquisition for bathymetric mapping, which normally provides the pattern of navigation lines, it is possible, and, sometimes, highly recommended, to collect other important data, such as SBP (if no interference occur with the Multibeam Sonar), magnetics, gravimetry, single-channel seismic. This contributes to the creation of extremely important, useful and co-ordinated data sets.



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2001-07-13