Swath bathymetry using phase difference: theoretical analysis ofacoustical measurement precision

The phase difference principle is widely applied nowadays to sonar systems used for sea floor bathymetry. The apparent angle of a target point is obtained from the phase difference measured between two close receiving arrays. Here we study the influence of the phase difference estimation errors caused by the physical structure of the backscattered signals. It is shown that, under certain current conditions, beyond the commonly considered effects of additive external noise and baseline decorrelation, the processing may be affected by the shifting footprint effect: this is due to the fact that the two interferometer receivers get simultaneous echo contributions coming from slightly shifted seabed parts, which results in a degradation of the signal coherence and, hence, of the phase difference measurement. This geometrical effect is described analytically and checked with numerical simulations, both for square- and sine-shaped signal envelopes, its relative influence depends on the geometrical configuration and receiver spacing; it may be prevalent in practical cases associated with bathymetric sonars. The cases of square and smooth signal envelopes are both considered. The measurements close to nadir, which are known to be especially difficult with interferometry systems, are addressed in particular     

Evolution of errors in the altimetric bathymetry model used by Google Earth and GEBCO

We analyze errors in the global bathymetry models of Smith and Sandwell that combine satellite altimetry with acoustic soundings and shorelines to estimate depths. Versions of these models have been incorporated into Google Earth and the General Bathymetric Chart of the Oceans (GEBCO). We use Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC) multibeam surveys not previously incorporated into the models as “ground truth” to compare against model versions 7.2 through 12.1, defining vertical differences as “errors.” Overall error statistics improve over time: 50th percentile errors declined from 57 to 55 to 49 m, and 90th percentile errors declined from 257 to 235 to 219 m, in versions 8.2, 11.1 and 12.1. This improvement is partly due to an increasing number of soundings incorporated into successive models, and partly to improvements in the satellite gravity model. Inspection of specific sites reveals that changes in the algorithms used to interpolate across survey gaps with altimetry have affected some errors. Versions 9.1 through 11.1 show a bias in the scaling from gravity in milliGals to topography in meters that affected the 15–160 km wavelength band. Regionally averaged (>160 km wavelength) depths have accumulated error over successive versions 9 through 11. These problems have been mitigated in version 12.1, which shows no systematic variation of errors with depth. Even so, version 12.1 is in some respects not as good as version 8.2, which employed a different algorithm.     

Non-linear principal component analysis of nearshore bathymetry

Spatially and temporally extensive nearshore bathymetric datasets have recently been analyzed with complex principal component analysis (CPCA) to extract propagating spatial patterns that constitute most to the dominant lower-dimensional structure in the datasets. CPCA assumes this structure to be linear, which may be an oversimplification of the true structure as the nearshore is a strongly non-linear system. Here we investigate whether a neural network-based circular non-linear principal component analysis (NLPCA.cir) provides a more representative approximation of the underlying lower-dimensional structure of nearshore depth data than possible with CPCA. To that end, NLPCA.cir was applied to three datasets characterized by interannual offshore-directed sandbar behavior, coming from Egmond (The Netherlands), Hasaki Coast (Japan) and Duck (North Carolina, USA). The main difference between these datasets is the temporal variation in sandbar amplitude, which is smallest at Egmond and largest at Duck. We find that the first NLPCA.cir mode 1 at Egmond and Hasaki leads to a more complete characterization of the lower-dimensional data structure than possible with CPCA (i.e. the underlying low-dimensional structure of bathymetric data at Egmond and Hasaki is indeed non-linear). This is not the case at Duck, where the temporal variations in sandbar amplitude are so large that the non-linear lower-dimensional structure in the data, should it exist, is no longer visually apparent and can no longer be detected by NLPCA.cir. This suggests that a simple visual check of the data suffices to decide whether one should resort to NLPCA.cir or to the more simple and computationally quicker CPCA.     

空间分辨率对水深遥感反演的影响分析

遥感水深反演中空间分辨率的影响是一个重要的科学问题。本文使用东岛的QuickBird和WorldView-2多光谱影像及实测水深点进行实验研究,实验使用了原始空间分辨率（2.4/2m）以及4种降空间分辨率（4m,8m,16m和32m）的影像,使用相同的水深控制点开展水深遥感反演,并对水深反演结果使用相同的检查点进行精度验证。实验结果表明,随着空间分辨率由2.4/2m降低至4m,8m和16m,水深遥感反演的精度呈现出逐渐提高的趋势,进一步降低空间分辨率则会导致水深反演精度下降。当影像空间分辨率为16m时,水深反演结果误差最小且与实测水深值相关性最高,此时两景影像的水深反演平均相对误差分别21.2%和13.1%,相对于最大值分别降低了14.7%和2.9%;平均绝对误差分别为2.0m和1.4m,相对于最大值分别降低了1.0m和0.5m。本文研究结果为水深遥感反演研究与应用中遥感数据的选择提供了参考。     

Swath Bathymetry Processing of GLORI-B and SeaBeam 2000

A new bathymetry processing software package has been developed to postprocess new GLORI-B swath bathymetry data using preexisting techniques. GLORI-B bathymetry is calculated using an interferometry (phase delay) method using the modified GLORIA towfish which has parallel rows of transducers on both sides. We describe four types of artifacts observed during the first use of this new system during Legs 5 and 6 of the Gloria Expedition which surveyed the fastest spreading segment of the global seafloor spreading system and the broad chain of volcanoes near Easter Island. These artifacts include cross-track bias, along-track bias, a 'dropped edge' effect, and random noise. We describe and illustrate how we minimize these artifacts. We merge the SeaBeam 2000 bathymetry data with the GLORI-B bathymetry data to produce a final bathymetric mosaic which covers about 243,400 km² and shows a different style of diffuse widely spread volcanism not previously observed along hotspot chains. The data are used in several studies describing seamount morphology, elastic thickness of the lithosphere, tectonic and geochemical evolution of the area, and mantle flow from a hotspot to a superfast seafloor spreading center.     

Megacusps on rip channel bathymetry: Observations and modeling

The formation of beach megacusps along the shoreline of southern Monterey Bay, CA, is investigated using time-averaged video and simulated with XBeach, a recently developed coastal sediment transport model. Investigations focus on the hydrodynamic role played by the bay's ever-present rip channels. A review of four years of video and wave data from Sand City, CA, indicates that megacusps most often form shoreward of rip channels under larger waves (significant wave height (H_s) = 1.5–2.0 m). However, they also occasionally appear shoreward of shoals when waves are smaller (H_s ~ 1 m) and the mean water level is higher on the beach. After calibration to the Sand City site, XBeach is shown to hindcast measured shoreline change moderately well (skill = 0.41) but to overpredict the erosion of the swash region and beach face. Simulations with small to moderate waves (H_s = 0.5–1.2 m) suggest, similar to field data, that megacusps will form shoreward of either rip channels or shoals, depending on mean daily water level and pre-existing beach shape. A frequency-based analysis of sediment transport forcing is performed, decomposing transport processes to the mean, infragravity, and very-low-frequency (VLF) contributions for two highlighted cases. Results indicate that the mean flow plays the dominant role in both types of megacusp formation, but that VLF oscillations in sediment concentration and advective flow are also significant.     

Morphostructure of the Egyptian Continental Margin: Insights from Swath Bathymetry Surveys

In the Eastern Mediterranean, offshore Egypt, the Nile continental margin is characterized by a large deep water turbiditic system known as the Nile Deep Sea Fan. This post-Miocene terrigenous construction covers an approximately 10 km-thick sedimentary pile, including 1–3 km of Messinian salt layers. Systematically collected swath bathymetric data proved to be the most powerful tool to discover, describe and study many sea floor features of this sedimentary construction which reflects competition between active tectonic, sedimentary, and geochemical processes. Gravity tectonics, triggered by underlying mobile salt layers, construction of channel-levee systems, the passage of turbidite flows, sedimentary slope failures at various scales, massive mud expulsions and fluid seepages are all interfering to shape the Nile Deep Sea Fan seabed.     

Separation of incident and reflected waves over sloping bathymetry

An existing 2D method for separating incident and reflected waves over a horizontal bed [Frigaard, P., Brorsen, M., 1995. A time domain method for separating incident and reflected irregular waves. Coastal Eng., 24, 205–215.] is modified to account for normally incident linear waves propagating over a bed with arbitrary 2D bathymetry. Linear shoaling is used to determine the amplitude and phase change between two measurement positions; thereafter the existing technique can be applied. Comparisons between the existing and modified methods are made using numerically simulated data. Errors in the reflection coefficient are found to be small for large reflection coefficients, but may become large if reflection is low. However, if an accurate assessment of the amplitude of the incident and reflected wave trains is required, the bathymetry must be accounted for in order to avoid significant errors (up to 90% for cases considered).     

Systematic errors as the cause for an apparent deep water property variability: global analysis of the WOCE and historical hydrographic data

High-quality hydrographic sections occupied during the World Ocean Circulation Experiment (WOCE) have allowed the first estimates to be made of property changes in the deep ocean on a decadal time-scale. The magnitude of the property variability on deep isothermal surfaces (below about 2–3°C) was found to be comparable with the magnitude of possible systematic errors in the data (except for a few regions where formation of deep and bottom waters occurs). However, the problem of systematic errors in hydrographic data was only marginally addressed in the literature.We conducted an analysis of property offsets between the cruises of an expansive global hydrographic dataset, including 1314 cruises. Because of significant differences in quality, a distinction is made between the high-quality modern data (1970–1998) and less accurate historical data (since 1920s). Inter-cruise offsets are determined on isothermal surfaces for salinity, oxygen, silicate, nitrate and phosphate within crossover areas. Offsets are decomposed into a systematic part (the difference of respective systematic errors (biases)) and a non-systematic part (a combined effect of temporal and spatial variability). For the reference subset of N=384 high-quality cruises with M=2201 crossover areas (for salinity) a system of M algebraic equations in N unknown cruise biases is obtained and solved by least squares.Accounting for biases allows a drastic reduction of inter-cruise offsets (a factor of 2–4 depending on property and dataset considered), bringing data from different cruises to agreement within WOCE quality requirements. For a composite WOCE/non-WOCE high-quality dataset calculated root-mean-square inter-cruise offsets before and after adjustment (in parentheses) are 3.2*10⁻³ (1.34*10⁻³) for salinity, 2.498 (0.782) μmol/kg for oxygen, 2.4 (0.95) μmol/kg for silicate, 0.55 (0.26) μmol/kg for nitrate and 0.045 (0.018) μmol/kg for phosphate. Our results demonstrate, that quality requirements for the WOCE Hydrographic Programme have been obviously fulfilled.Biases for historical cruises are calculated relative to the corrected reference data and are found to be on average a factor of 3–6 larger than the modern cruise biases. Calculated property offsets and biases for both high-quality and historical data are found to be in a good agreement with independent offset estimates. Though small differences of IAPSO Standard Seawater salinity from label salinity are reported in the literature, they can not explain observed inter-cruise offsets, and operator/salinometer related errors seem to be the main cause for inter-cruise differences.Systematic biases can provide an explanation for apparent changes in deep water temperature–parameter relationships as an alternative to natural variability. For instance, we argue that apparent variability of the deep water salinity in the Argentine Basin during 1980s as reported by Coles, McCartney, and Olson (J. Geophys. Res. 101, 1996, 8957–8970) is mostly the result of systematic errors in the data used for their analysis. Removing inconsistencies in a composite data set is also important for producing consistent climatological property fields even in the data abundant regions.     

Beach Wizard: Nearshore bathymetry estimation through assimilation of model computations and remote observations

A data–model assimilation method (called “Beach Wizard”) is presented with which the nearshore subtidal bathymetry can be accurately estimated based on video-derived observations of wave roller dissipation and variation of the intertidal shoreline, and/or radar-derived observations of wave celerity. Using many consecutive images, these observed properties are compared with numerical model results, and through a simple, optimal least-squares estimator approach the estimated bathymetry is adjusted gradually for each image in order to improve the fit between model output and observations. The key advantages of the technique are that it is based on multiple sources of information (i.e., different remote sensors and/or data products), depends on only a few free parameters (to which the model results are insensitive), and shows good skill. Herein, the technique is applied to a synthetic case and two sets of field data from sites at Duck, NC (USA) and Egmond (The Netherlands). The method, which may be extended with observations of other properties from other sources than the three described in this paper, can deliver coastal state information (i.e., simultaneous updates of bathymetry, waves, and currents) with high temporal and spatial resolution and can be used in conjunction with or instead of in-situ measured data.     

Postprocessing and corrections of bathymetry derived from sidescansonar systems: application with SeaMARC II

A procedure for postprocessing bathymetry data provided by a phase-measuring sidescan sonar system is presented. The data were collected with the SeaMARC II system, and are generally characterized by a high level of noise and uneven spatial sampling. Before any spatial filtering is applied, data are selected to remove most of the obvious artifacts and to retain instantaneous depth profiles whose slant ranges increase monotonically from a central location to the edges of the swath. An extrapolation scheme, patterned after a potential field, is proposed to fill gaps in the coverage or to extend the bathymetric swath to that of the corresponding sidescan image when regridding the data to a rectangular frame. To fill the near nadir gap typically found in these data, a specific interpolation methodology is developed that takes into account the slant range of the first bottom return as received by the sidescan sonar itself or by a shipboard echo-sounder. Spatial low-pass filtering is applied through convolutions with parabolic windows whose width is proportional to the footprint of the acoustic beam along track and roughly 1/8 of the swath width across track. Mismatches of contour lines between adjacent tracks are reduced through a statistical method design to correct systematic profile errors     

Small-scale sediment transport patterns and bedform morphodynamics: new insights from high-resolution multibeam bathymetry

New multibeam echosounder and processing technologies yield sub-meter-scale bathymetric resolution, revealing striking details of bedform morphology that are shaped by complex boundary-layer flow dynamics at a range of spatial and temporal scales. An inertially aided post processed kinematic (IAPPK) technique generates a smoothed best estimate trajectory (SBET) solution to tie the vessel motion-related effects of each sounding directly to the ellipsoid, significantly reducing artifacts commonly found in multibeam data, increasing point density, and sharpening seafloor features. The new technique was applied to a large bedform field in 20–30 m water depths in central San Francisco Bay, California (USA), revealing bedforms that suggest boundary-layer flow deflection by the crests where 12-m-wavelength, 0.2-m-amplitude bedforms are superimposed on 60-m-wavelength, 1-m-amplitude bedforms, with crests that often were strongly oblique (approaching 90°) to the larger features on the lee side, and near-parallel on the stoss side. During one survey in April 2008, superimposed bedform crests were continuous between the crests of the larger features, indicating that flow detachment in the lee of the larger bedforms is not always a dominant process. Assessment of bedform crest peakedness, asymmetry, and small-scale bedform evolution between surveys indicates the impact of different flow regimes on the entire bedform field. This paper presents unique fine-scale imagery of compound and superimposed bedforms, which is used to (1) assess the physical forcing and evolution of a bedform field in San Francisco Bay, and (2) in conjunction with numerical modeling, gain a better fundamental understanding of boundary-layer flow dynamics that result in the observed superimposed bedform orientation.     

绿色海堤的沉积地貌与生态系统动力学原理: 研究综述*

绿色海堤是传统结构工程与海岸生态系统共同组合而成的新型海堤, 用以应对未来海面上升、风暴加剧给低地海岸防护带来的挑战。需解决的问题主要有海岸生态系统消浪过程及生态系统在海堤体系中的配置方式。理论分析、现场观测、物模数模所获结果表明, 海岸生态系统确有显著的消浪功能: 1) 陆架泥区消浪, 其机制以再悬浮和浮泥运动为主, 底部摩擦为次; 2) 潮滩下部的粉砂细砂滩底部摩擦和推移质运动共同造成波能耗散, 而上部的泥滩则以再悬浮和悬沙输运为主; 3) 在盐沼、红树林、海草床等由植被构成的生态系统, 植物通过形态阻力、茎秆运动来阻滞水流、耗散波能, 其效能高于沉积物床面对波能的耗散; 4) 生物礁主要有珊瑚礁和牡蛎礁, 其消能作用主要通过床面摩擦和波浪破碎, 效能较高, 尤其是在风暴期间。生态系统如何成为海堤的有机组成部分, 尤其是侵蚀型海岸的生态位修复和绿色海堤整体设计, 还需进一步研究相关的科学问题: 与硬质工程结合的盐沼-牡蛎礁的适应性生物学; 未来环境变化条件下生态系统的稳定性; 绿色海堤生态系统空间配置及其与风暴事件的时间尺度匹配; 基于均衡剖面理论的海堤形态优化。     

J-lay铺管作业力学分析

目前J-lay铺管法作为深水和超深水铺管的最适用方法广泛应用于深海油气开发。考虑J-lay铺管时管道几何非线性特征以及触地区边界效应,将J-lay铺管模型划分三构件进行力学分析:悬浮段、边界层段以及触地段。建立Orca Flex模型和引入Wang改进二构件模型,通过对比上述三种方法计算J-lay相应构型、轴力、弯矩和剪力分布,验证该三构件模型的可行性和考虑边界效应的必要性。基于Lamé公式计算管道横截面处轴向、径向以及环向应力,对比分析J-lay铺设管道应力分布特征。结果表明:该改进三构件模型能真实有效地模拟J-lay铺管过程中管道受力情况,特别是触地点附近弯矩和剪力变化情况,能为管道疲劳损伤分析提供理论基础。     

Combining pixel and object based image analysis of ultra-high resolution multibeam bathymetry and backscatter for habitat mapping in shallow marine waters

Habitat mapping data are increasingly being recognised for their importance in underpinning marine spatial planning. The ability to collect ultra-high resolution (cm) multibeam echosounder (MBES) data in shallow waters has facilitated understanding of the fine-scale distribution of benthic habitats in these areas that are often prone to human disturbance. Developing quantitative and objective approaches to integrate MBES data with ground observations for predictive modelling is essential for ensuring repeatability and providing confidence measures for habitat mapping products. Whilst supervised classification approaches are becoming more common, users are often faced with a decision whether to implement a pixel based (PB) or an object based (OB) image analysis approach, with often limited understanding of the potential influence of that decision on final map products and relative importance of data inputs to patterns observed. In this study, we apply an ensemble learning approach capable of integrating PB and OB Image Analysis from ultra-high resolution MBES bathymetry and backscatter data for mapping benthic habitats in Refuge Cove, a temperate coastal embayment in south-east Australia. We demonstrate the relative importance of PB and OB seafloor derivatives for the five broad benthic habitats that dominate the site. We found that OB and PB approaches performed well with differences in classification accuracy but not discernible statistically. However, a model incorporating elements of both approaches proved to be significantly more accurate than OB or PB methods alone and demonstrate the benefits of using MBES bathymetry and backscatter combined for class discrimination.     

Morphology of pockmarks along the western continental margin of India: Employing multibeam bathymetry and backscatter data

This study addresses the morphology of pockmarks along the western continental margin of India using multibeam bathymetry and backscatter data. Here, for the first time we have utilized the application of ArcGIS (Geographical Information System) for understanding the morphology of pockmarks from the western continental margin of India. The pockmarks observed in water depths of 145–330 m are circular, elliptical or elongated in plan-view, with an average length and width of 157 (±72) m and 83 (±19) m respectively. The average pockmark relief and perimeter are 1.9 (±0.9) m and 412 (±181) m, respectively. The pockmarks have average areas and volumes of 10 759 m² and 15 315 m³ respectively. Spatial separation that coincides with 210 m isobath divides the pockmarks into two groups with differing distributions and morphologies. These pockmarks originated from seepages of biogenic or thermogenic gas or from pore fluids from deeper sources, migrated vertically along the faults. Besides a possible structural control, the pockmark morphologies are also affected by bottom currents and/or by submarine slumping. The average acoustic backscatter strength from pockmark centre is higher (−35 dB) than the average backscatter of the total area (−40 dB), which suggests their possible linkage to the precipitation of diagenitic minerals from biodegradation of seepage material.     

Swath mapping of the seafloor and its application to deep-bottom fisheries in New Caledonia

A bottom longline fishery operated in the EEZ of New Caledonia from 1988 to 1991. Fishing focused on five seamounts with summits at depths ranging from 500 to 750 m. The target species was alfonsino, Beryx splendens. As the soundings available from marine charts were not detailed enough, the fishing masters had to make their own charts in order to set the gear in the right location. A series of 11 scientific cruises devoted to a research program on alfonsino was launched in late 1991. During the first scientific cruises, several days were spent mapping the seabed to improve the existing knowledge of the topography of three seamounts by coupling the EDO echosounder depth measurements to the GPS positions. As this procedure is slow, it is applicable to limited areas or, if a wider grid is used, to large zones to locate major structures such as ridges and seamounts. The emergence of the multibeam echosounder has greatly improved seabed mapping performance. This tool seems to fit the requirement of exploratory deep-bottom fishing particularly well, as it covers large areas while providing details of the bottom. The EM 12 was used to obtain bathymetry and imagery of the SE portion of the EEZ of New Caledonia, covering an approximate area of 70,000 km² in two weeks. For depths ranging from 500 to 4,500 m, the results were impressive. They confirmed the known major features and provided greater topographical detail, revealing fine unknown structures. They also provided information on the type of substratum, information which might influence the fishing strategy. Finally, they made it possible to obtain an accurate estimate of the exploitable area which in turn led to new stock estimates.     

Automated cleaning and uncertainty attribution of archival bathymetry based on a priori knowledge

Hydrographic offices hold large valuable historic bathymetric data sets, many of which were collected using older generation survey systems that contain little or no metadata and/or uncertainty estimates. These bathymetric data sets generally contain large outlier (errant) data points to clean, yet standard practice does not include rigorous automated procedures for systematic cleaning of these historical data sets and their subsequent conversion into reusable data formats. In this paper, we propose an automated method for this task. We utilize statistically diverse threshold tests, including a robust least trimmed squared method, to clean the data. We use LOESS weighted regression residuals together with a Student-t distribution to attribute uncertainty for each retained sounding; the resulting uncertainty values compare favorably with native estimates of uncertainty from co-located data sets which we use to estimate a point-wise goodness-of-fit measure. Storing a cleansed validated data set augmented with uncertainty in a re-usable format provides the details of this analysis for subsequent users. Our test results indicate that the method significantly improves the quality of the data set while concurrently providing confidence interval estimates and point-wise goodness-of-fit estimates as referenced to current hydrographic practices.     

Sand mining impact on Poyang Lake: a case study based on high-resolution bathymetry and sub-bottom data

Poyang Lake in the Changjiang(Yangtze) River catchment has undergone frequent spring drought since 2003, and some researchers attributed this phenomenon to sand mining and the lakebed deformation in the outlet channel linking the lake with Changjiang River main channel. However, there is still a lack of high-resolution subaqueous geomorphological evidence of how sand mining led to lakebed deformation in the outlet channel. We examined the bed morphology and sub-bottom sedimentary structure of th...