TOWFISH SCANS SEABED—

This equipment is most at home under the sea. Developed by Bathymetrics of Bath, southwest England, for Marconi Underwater Systems, it uses acoustic transducer arrays which enable the phase and amplitude of sonar signals to be measured.

This technique allows the seabed topography to be measured very accurately and in considerable detail, producing 256 depth values on either side. During a survey, seabed features are continuously displayed in a "waterfall" or in contour mode, at the rate of some 1,500 soundings per second, on a color graphics screen on the host craft. At the same time attitude data, such as heave, roll, pitch and heading and also the position of profiles are recorded on tape. The system, which was primarily made for operation using a towfish, was designed to be portable and flexible in deployment and operation. It can be used from a wide range of craft.

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Maritime Reporter

First published in 1881 Maritime Reporter is the world's largest audited circulation publication serving the global maritime industry.