How Mapping Sonars Work

MB-System supports data from multibeam, interferometry, sidescan, and subbottom profiler sonars. Much has been written to explain how these sonars work and are used. This section provides links to such documents that we have permission to redistribute or are available on other sites. The MB-System team and its supporting institutions and funding agencies make no claim regarding the accuracy or usefulness of these documents.

• Multibeam Sonar Theory of Operation
  • By L3 Communications SeaBeam Instruments, 2000.
  • Most relevant to SeaBeam 2100 series sonars.

• Calculation of multibeam beam angles using tranducer array mounting angles, sonar orientation, and the transmit and receive steering angles
  • Beaudoin, J., Hughes Clarke, J., and Bartlett, J., "Application of Surface Sound Speed Measurements in Post-Processing for Multi-Sector Multibeam Echosounders", International Hydrographic Review, v.5, no.3, p.26-31, 2004.
  • Code contributed by Jonathan Beaudoin based on this paper is used to do beam angle calculations in MB-System

• Swath Sonar Sites of the Ocean Mapping Group, University of New Brunswick
  • Swath-Sonar Sites, OMG/UNB

• Swath Mapping Research of the Center for Coastal and Ocean Mapping / Joint Hydrographic Center, University of New Hampshire
  • Research CCOM/JHC

• Sidescan Sonar Operation and Principles of L-3 Klein Associates
  • L-3 Klein Associates Operator Resource Site

• Sidescan Sonar Primer of the Institute For Marine Acoustics
  • Sonar Primer

• Multibeam sonar summary of the NOAA Coastal Services Center
  • Remote Sensing for Coastal Management: Multibeam Sonar

• Sea Technology paper on subbottom profilers by Paul Henkart (author of SIOSEIS)
  • Chirp Subbottom Profiler Data Processing - A Review

• A document discussing the basic signal processing aspects of chirp subbottom profilers
• Some Comments on How Subbottom Profilers Work

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Last Updated: 29 October 2014