New Bathymetric Surveying and Processing System Based on SEA BEAM 2000
Akira Asada · AquaDocs (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) · 1993
The Hydrographic Department, Japan Maritime Safety Agency has installed the most advanced bathymetric surveying system of 90 degrees swath width, called SEA BEAM 2000, which is a new system developed by the SeaBeam Instruments Incorporation, on the newly built survey vessel Meiyo in October 1990. The practical survey using this newest system has be巴ncarried out. The present SEA BEAM 2000 has a good capability of 120 degrees swath width and side scan image output by combining interferometric technologies since February 1992. By adopting the interferometric technique, the resolving performance of bottom reflection wave and the multi beam depth measurement are improved remarkably. Also, we developed a new integrated navigation system and a new data processing system for the SEA BEAM 2000. For example, the computer program which rejects erroneous data of 1 or more percent abnormalities by automatic analysis of abnormalities based on the continuity of the topographic feature is very useful. Since SEA BEAM 2000 records additionally intensity data of 121 beams, we made grazing angle and position corrections of the beam intensity data and prepared the intensity map by using a digital color photograph printer. Furthermore, we tried to make a 3-dimmentional intensity map by using depth data. This map indicates very detailed topography of the seafloor, such as faults, complex rock walls and channels.