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Multibeam sonar backscatter data processing

journal contribution
posted on 2018-06-01, 00:00 authored by Alexandre Schimel, J Beaudoin, I M Parnum, T Le Bas, V Schmidt, G Keith, Daniel IerodiaconouDaniel Ierodiaconou
© 2018, Springer Science+Business Media B.V., part of Springer Nature. Multibeam sonar systems now routinely record seafloor backscatter data, which are processed into backscatter mosaics and angular responses, both of which can assist in identifying seafloor types and morphology. Those data products are obtained from the multibeam sonar raw data files through a sequence of data processing stages that follows a basic plan, but the implementation of which varies greatly between sonar systems and software. In this article, we provide a comprehensive review of this backscatter data processing chain, with a focus on the variability in the possible implementation of each processing stage. Our objective for undertaking this task is twofold: (1) to provide an overview of backscatter data processing for the consideration of the general user and (2) to provide suggestions to multibeam sonar manufacturers, software providers and the operators of these systems and software for eventually reducing the lack of control, uncertainty and variability associated with current data processing implementations and the resulting backscatter data products. One such suggestion is the adoption of a nomenclature for increasingly refined levels of processing, akin to the nomenclature adopted for satellite remote-sensing data deliverables.

History

Journal

Marine geophysical researches

Volume

39

Issue

1-2

Pagination

121 - 137

Publisher

Springer Verlag

Location

Berlin, Germany

ISSN

0025-3235

eISSN

1573-0581

Language

eng

Publication classification

C Journal article; C1 Refereed article in a scholarly journal

Copyright notice

2018, Springer Science+Business Media B.V