National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration
United States Department of Commerce


 

FY 1989

Sea Beam backscatter analysis applied to the classification of deep-sea volcanic terrains

Fox, C.G., and M. van Heeswijk

In Global Venting, Midwater, and Benthic Ecological Processes, National Undersea Research Program Report 88-4, M.P. De Luca and I. Babb (eds.), 71–79 (1988)


Hull-mounted sonar systems, such as Sea Beam, are typically used for mapping the bathymetry of the deep-sea floor. The same digital information that is used for the measurement of depth can be evaluated for the backscattering properties of the seafloor. The unique morphologies and petrologies of volcanic and hydrothermal terrains may produce identifiable backscatter signatures. The Alvin support vessel Atlantis II is equipped for digitally acquiring Sea Beam backscatter energy traces, allowing sonar remote sensing and submersible exploration to be performed in tandem. An experiment funded by the National Undersea Research Program, at Axial Seamount, Juan de Fuca Ridge, has produced the most extensive data set to date from a known hydrothermal area, and these data are being calibrated using the large groundtruth data base collected by NOAA's VENTS research program.




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