Authors / CoAuthors
Siwabessy, P.J.W. | Daniell, J. | Huang, Z. | Heap, A.D. | Brooke, B.
Abstract
Multibeam sonars provide co-located high-resolution bathymetry and acoustic backscatter data over a swath of the seafloor. Not only does backscatter response vary with incidence angles but it also changes with different seabed habitat types as well. The resulting imagery depicts spatial changes in the morphological and physical characteristics of the seabed that many use to relate to other dataset such as biology and sediment data for seabed habitat classification purposes. As a co-custodian of national bathymetry data, Geoscience Australia holds massive volumes of multibeam data from various systems including comprehensive collection from its own SIMRAD EM3002D multibeam sonar system. Consequently, Geoscience Australia is researching the application of acoustic backscatter data for seabed habitat mapping to assist with deriving an inventory of seabed habitats for Australia's marine jurisdiction. We present a procedure and a technique developed for our SIMRAD EM3002D multibeam sonar system to derive meaningful angular backscatter response curves. The ultimate goal of this excersie is to try to make use of the angular backscatter response curve that many believe is unique and is an intrinsic property of the seafloor for seabed habitat classification purposes. Adopting the technique intially developed by the Centre for Marine Science and Technology at Curtin University of Technology, Geoscience Australia has further improved these techniques to suits its own sonar system. Issues surrounding the production of the angular backscatter response curves and their solutions will be discussed. We also present results derived from multibeam data acquired in the Joseph Bonaparte Gulf, NT and from the Carnarvorn Shelf (Point Cloates), WA from aboard AIMS Research Vessel Solander. This includes potential use of the angular backscatter response curves for seabed classification and results from a simple analysis using the Kolmogrov-Smirnov goodness of fit.
Product Type
nonGeographicDataset
eCat Id
71587
Contact for the resource
Custodian
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Cnr Jerrabomberra Ave and Hindmarsh Dr GPO Box 378
Canberra
ACT
2601
Australia
Keywords
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- External Publication
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- backscatter
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- mapping
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- marine
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- CERF
- Australian and New Zealand Standard Research Classification (ANZSRC)
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- Earth Sciences
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- Published_Internal
Publication Date
2011-01-01T00:00:00
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geoscientificInformation
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