Merged GLORIA sidescan and Hydrosweep pseudo-sidescan: Processing and creation of digital mosaics

We have replaced the usual band of poor-quality data in the near-nadir region of our GLORIA long-range sidescan-sonar imagery with a shaded-relief image constructed from swath bathymetry data (collected simultaneously with GLORIA) which completely cover the nadir area. We have developed a technique to enhance these pseudo-sidescan images in order to mimic the neighbouring GLORIA backscatter intensities. As a result, the enhanced images greatly facilitate the geologic interpretation of the adjacent GLORIA data, and geologic features evident in the GLORIA data may be correlated with greater confidence across track. Features interpreted from the pseudo-sidescan may be extrapolated from the near-nadir region out into the GLORIA range where they may nt have been recognized otherwise, and therefore the pseudo-sidescan can be used to ground-truth GLORIA interpretations. Creation of digital sidescan mosaics utilized an approach not previously used for GLORIA data. Pixels were correctly placed in cartographic space and the time required to complete a final mosaic was significantly reduced. Computer software for digital mapping and mosaic creation is incorporated into the newly-developed Woods Hole Image Processing System (WHIPS) which can process both low- and high-frequency sidescan, and can interchange data with the Mini Image Processing System (MIPS) most commonly used for GLORIA processing. These techniques are tested by creating digital mosaics of merged GLORIA sidescan and Hydrosweep pseudo-sidescan data from the vicinity of the Juan Fernandez microplate along the East Pacific Rise (EPR).     

Calibration techniques and sampling resolution requirements for groundtruthing multibeam acoustic backscatter (EM3000) and QTC VIEW™ classification technology

Both acoustic and sediment surveys were carried out in the Broughton Archipelago, British Columbia, in order to map a former aquaculture site and calibrate acoustic surveys with georeferenced sediment properties. The acoustic surveys included EM3000 Multibeam (including backscatter) and QTC VIEW™ (Series IV) technologies, while the geotechnical survey entailed Van Veen grab sampling of surface sediments and associated analyses. The two acoustic technologies were consistent in their ability to identify distinct regions of seafloor characterized by rock outcrops, consolidated substrates, or gel-mud depositional fields. Both multibeam backscatter data and QTC VIEW™ number-coded classifications were extracted across a range of circular areas located at each georeferenced sampling station (radii: 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 12, 16, 20 m). Statistical correlations were observed between backscatter and certain geotechnical properties, such as sediment porosity, sediment grain size fractions (<2 μm, silt content), and particulate sulfur concentration. The areal resolution of backscatter extraction was explored in terms of determining a sensitive calibration technique between backscatter and sediment properties. In general the highest r² values between backscatter and sediment variables were observed across extraction radii between 8 and 20 m. Such groundtruthing techniques could be used to interpolate seafloor characteristics between sampling stations and provide a steering tool for sampling designs associated with benthic monitoring programs.     

Progressive deformation of an evaporite-bearing accretionary complex: SeaMARC I,SeaBeam and piston-core observations from the Mediterranean Ridge

The Mediterranean Ridge is an arcuate ridge of deformed sediment caught up in the convergent plate margin between the African plate and the Aegean. An intensive campaign of SeaMARC I and SeaBeam surveys followed by piston coring has been conducted along the contact between undeformed turbidites of the Sirte Abyssal Plain and folded and faulted sediments of the Mediterranean Ridge. Along the outer edge of the Ridge, surficial sediments have been deformed into sinusoidal ridges and troughs (wavelengths 0.5–2 km, amplitude 20–150 m), which we interpret as folds. In plan view, the ridge and the trough fabric parallels the NW-SE trending regional contours, suggesting that the folds formed in response to compression orthogonal to the Mediterranean Ridge. The outermost ridge is shedding a debris apron out onto the abyssal plain, implying that uplift and deformation are ongoing. We show that the geometry of the outermost folds can be produced by elastic bending of a packet of 5–10 relatively strong layers, each 10–20 m thick, interbedded between weaker layers; we equate the strong layers with gypsum beds in the Messinian upper evaporites. Folding the seafloor from a flat layer into the observed ridge and trough topography would shorten the layer by less than 2%. Two percent shortening (equals two percent thickening) is insufficient to create the observed relief of the Mediterranean Ridge even if the entire sediment column down to basement were involved; we infer that additional shortening/thickening is accommodated by thrust faulting above a decollement at the top of the Messinian salt layer. At distances > 15 km from the deformation front and more than 500 m from the abyssal plain, sharp-edged, fine-grained side-scan lineations with very little vertical relief cut across the kilometer-scale ridge and trough topography. These fine-grained lineations fall in two groups trending N/S to NNE/SSW and ~ENE. We interpret these lineaments as traces of conjugate strike-slip faults formed in the same compressional regime which formed the NW/SE trending folds. The onset of strike-slip faulting may coincide with the cessation of imbricate thrust fan development above the initial salt-controlled decollement surface. The following characteristics of the Mediterranean Ridge are attributed to the presence of evaporites in the incoming sedimentary section: (1) initial deformation by folding rather than thrust faulting; (2) narrow taper; (3) rapid rate of outward growth; (4) karstification.     

多波束成像声纳系统低功耗设计

针对多波束成像声纳系统降低系统功耗提高续航能力的要求,从硬件和算法两个方面展开了对系统的低功耗设计。硬件方面通过采用单电源运算放大器(OPA)电路架构对系统调理模块的放大、滤波链路进行了重新设计,实际测试结果表明实现了14.37W的系统功耗降低。算法方面通过提出一种基于圆阵的旋转多波束形成方法,在完成系统多波束设计的基础上实现了85倍的资源优化效果,为信号处理模块的FPGA芯片低功耗选型提供了技术支撑。     

一种适用于海量多波束测深数据的中值滤波算法

针对CUBE算法中的数据中值滤波排序问题,设计了一种基于堆结构的中值滤波算法。这种方法以初始滤波窗口中间数据为支点,把滤波序列划分为2个堆,进而把查找滤波窗口中间位置数据转化为在两个堆中进行排序并输出根节点的操作。实验结果表明,这种方法的滤波速度约为基于二分查找的中值滤波算法的2~4倍,适合应用于海量数据的滤波处理。     

多波束测深在海洋工程勘察中的应用

简述了多波束测深技术的基本原理，并结合几个典型的海上勘察工程实例，介绍了该技术在香港特别行政区海洋环境勘察环境、填海工程勘察等方面的应用成果以及工程勘察中的一些实践经验。     

利用MVDR算法削弱多波束测深声纳的隧道效应

分析了海底多波束测深声纳中存在的隧道效应及其产生机理,指出旁瓣干扰是引起隧道效应的重要因素,隧道效应的出现导致多波束测深声纳把相对平坦的海底误测成凹面向上的水平半圆柱面海底地形。研究了基于GSC结构的自适应波束形成算法,推导提出了MVDR算法的连续自适应实现方案,并利用该算法对多波束测深声纳湖试数据中存在的隧道效应进行处理,结果表明该算法能够有效削弱多波束测深数据边缘波束中存在的旁瓣干扰。     

顾及坡度和高程的多波束测深数据抽稀算法

海底地形数据是进行海洋科学研究、工程建设的重要数据源,水深信息作为海底地形数据的基础信息,反映了海底地形的起伏变化。因此,如何有效地处理水深数据成为海洋测绘的重点研究内容。为解决海量多波束测深数据的数据冗余问题,提出了一种顾及坡度和高程的多波束测深数据抽稀算法,能够兼顾数据抽稀的精度和地形特征点的保留。考虑到存在含有空洞、凹边界等局部空白区域的多波束测深数据,首先利用Alpha Shape算法提取测深数据局部空白区域的边界点;然后采用坡度和高程相结合的抽稀算法删除冗余点,得到抽稀结果。在实验区内,通过与基于坡度抽稀、顾及地形复杂度抽稀和基于系统抽稀算法进行对比实验,结果表明：(1)本文抽稀算法在测深数据局部空白区域生成的等深线较上述抽稀算法更贴近原始测深数据等深线的形态,可以有效保持地形形态完整性;(2)对不同地形的测深数据进行抽稀,本文算法的精度较上述抽稀算法均有不同程度的提升,尤其抽稀率较低时,本文算法较上述算法在MSE分别提升了16%、27%、14%和10%、36%、2%,RMSE分别提升了7%、12%、7%和5%、17%、3%,体现了本文算法对不同地形多波束测深数据抽稀的有效性...