Mapping the Oceans Floor
Rhonda Moniz
January 7, 2012
Mapping the ocean floor is important to scientists understanding of bottom topography. With a good understanding of the bathymetry in a given area researchers can focus their time and energy on the myriad of tasks at hand during ocean exploration. GPS or Global Positioning Systems collect data that are then combined with the latest bathymetric information collected using various technologies. Those technologies include ROV and submersible data, shipboard swath mapping, side scan sonar, and seismic reflection. Multibeam sonar is also currently used featuring hundreds of narrow adjacent beams arranged in a fanlike pattern that provides high angular resolution and accuracy.