Specializing in environmental surveying, AFFILIATED RESEARCHERS utilizes advanced hydrographic remote-sensing instruments and software to provide sub-bottom profiling of lakes, harbors, rivers, canals, estuaries, and marine environments.
Sub-bottom profiling is the preferred method for accurately measuring sediment depth and thickness, as well as sediment volumes that have accumulated on a seafloor, lakebed, riverbed, canal, or harbor.
- pre-dredge surveys;
- geological surveys of sediment and substrates;
- locating buried wrecks, debris, and obstructions;
- locating buried pipelines or cables;
- development and calibration of hydrodynamic sediment transport model;
- archeological surveys for buried artifacts; and,
- surveys of bridge, structure, shoreline scouring.
AFFILIATED RESEARCHERS can effectively collect extremely large amounts of accurate, geo-referenced sub-bottom profiling measurements (approximately 20 soundings per second) in a relatively short amount of time; and often exceeding the task criteria prescribed in engineering, environmental, and scientific projects.
While navigating the survey transects, AFFILIATED RESEARCHERS trained Hydrographers collect geo-referenced measurements of water depth and sediment depth (sub-bottom) using a survey grade, sub-bottom profiling echo sounder. Hydrographic softwares are used to link a centimeter accurate RTK-GPS to the sub-bottom profiler and import continuous position and elevation data. All data (water depth, sediment depth, water elevation, and position) are automatically and continuously recorded in real-time, onto our survey vessels’ onboard hydrographic computer.
AFFILIATED RESEARCHERS utilizes an EdgeTech 3100 shallow-water, sub-bottom profiler to conduct its sub-bottom profiling surveys. The 3100 system utilizes EdgeTech’s full spectrum CHIRP technology which provides higher resolution imagery and greater penetration of the sub-bottom structure. The EdgeTech 3100 operates at a frequency range of 4 – 24 kHz; with a vertical resolution of 4 – 8 cm; and can penetrate 2 meters in coarse sand sediments and 40 meters in clay sediments. The EdgeTech 3100 is ideal for use in rivers, lakes, ponds and ocean applications up to a maximum water depth of 300 meter
Hydrographic softwares are used to compile the data into hydrographic drawings of water depth contours and sub-bottom sediment contours, and to calculate sediment volumes. Cross-sectional views of the water depths and sub-bottom sediment depths can also be readily generated. An accurate visual representation of the thicknesses of the accumulated sediments is provided from a color-coded, geo-referenced sediment thickness mosaic.
AFFILIATED RESEARCHERS’ sub-bottom profiling surveys also include geo-referenced backgrounds of aerial photography, engineering plans, infrastructure surveys, and other databases to show project information. Our deliverables are scaled and established in a client selected real-world coordinate system and elevation datum.
The developed sub-bottom profiling deliverables are readily exported into GeoTIFF, JPEG, PDF, CAD, or GIS formats to enable convenient data sharing. Accurate and detailed 3-D fly-through Fledermaus depictions of the deliverables can also be provided to enable better visualization.
AFFILIATED RESEARCHERS’ sub-bottom profiling surveys are conducted in accordance with recognized methods and QAQC protocols.
AFFILIATED RESEARCHERS provides sub-bottom profiling services nationwide and throughout the US territories.