Echo Sounder
Echo sounders are devices that use sound waves to measure water depth and locate objects underwater. They are used for a variety of purposes, including navigation, environmental monitoring, and mapping the seafloor.
Here’s some information about Echo Sounders:
- How they work : Echo sounders emit sound waves through a transducer and measure the time it takes for the sound to return as an echo. The difference in time is used to calculate the distance to the object or the depth of the water.
- Types of echo sounders: There are several types of echo sounders, including single-beam and multibeam:
- Single-beam echo sounders: These are the most basic type of echo sounder and are commonly used in boating. They emit a sound pulse in a narrow cone.
- Multibeam echo sounders: These produce a fan-shaped beam that can collect up to 512 soundings in each depth profile. This provides a higher resolution than single-beam echo sounders.
- Frequency: The frequency of the sound wave affects the accuracy of the depth measurement. Higher frequency sound waves are more accurate, but they are absorbed more quickly by water and are not suitable for deep-water surveys.
- Survey software: Survey software records a timestamp on each piece of data to minimize error. The data is then adjusted using a “Patch Test” algorithm to calculate the sum of all latency sources.
- Sound velocity: The speed of sound in water is directly proportional to the density of the water. The density of water can be affected by turbidity, salinity, temperature, and pressure.