Seafloor Mapping Glossary
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Multibeam bathymetry
Multibeam bathymetry
Seafloor mapping data acquired by using an array of transducers on a ship's hull to fire sound beams simultaneously toward the bottom. The sound bounces off the seafloor at different angles and is received by the ship at slightly different times, allowing researchers to get a series of water depth readings along the line of a moving vessel.
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Seismic reflection
Seismic reflection
An acoustic surveying technique that gathers data about the sub-surface structure of the seafloor by sending artificially generated acoustic waves down the water column and into the seafloor, where the different structures and objects within the Earth's crust reflect this energy back. These reflected energy waves are recorded by hydrophones, and the data are processed to produce a visual representation of the seabed sub-surface.