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                                                                           Marine Geophysical Investigations

 

Sea Surveyor is expert at using sophisticated marine geophysical sensors to make reliable maps of the seafloor and subbottom geology for:
 
 
 


 

 

 

SIDE-SCAN SONAR: Sea Surveyor utilizes two types of digital side-scan sonars to produce acoustic images of the seafloor: our 100-500 kHz side-scan is used for geological characterization and search & recovery surveys, while our 600-1200kHz side-scan is used for high-resolution archaeological and marine vegetation surveys.  The seafloor images are recorded in the navigation computer aboard the survey vessel, and can be viewed, analyzed, and printed in a “mosaic”.  The acoustic images are interpreted to produce maps that show the lateral extent of surficial lithology (silt, sand, gravel), and natural (bedrock), cultural (shipwrecks, pipelines), or biological (fish, vegetation) features on the seafloor.
 
         

 

        

 

 

SUBBOTTOM PROFILING:  Sea Surveyor offers a wide variety of shallow subbottom profiling systems for mapping the cross-sectional profiles of sediment layers below the seafloor.  We custom-select the type of subbottom profiler to be used based upon the penetration depth and resolution desired by the client.  Our highly trained geophysicists interpret the seismic data to prepare subbottom cross-sections and isopach (sediment thickness) contour charts.

  

 
 

        

 

 
 

 
 
SEISMIC REFRACTION:  Seismic refraction measures the velocity of sound as it passes through the seafloor, providing information on the geotechnical characteristics and geology of the ocean bottom.  Seismic refraction generates and measures the speed of a “P-wave” as it travels along interfaces between different geological layers (seafloor-sediment, sediment-bedrock).  Measuring the speed of the sound wave allows the compressional wave velocity to be calculated, and geological properties to be inferred.

 

 

 

 

 

 

MARINE MAGNETOMETER:  A marine magnetometer is towed behind the survey boat to locate ferrous metal in sunken ships, lost anchors, buried pipelines, and other underwater objects that disrupt the Earth’s magnetic field

 

 

 

960-C Grant Street, Benicia CA 94510

(707) 746-1853 info@seasurveyor.com