Improved Interpretation of Marine Sedimentary Environments Using Multi-Frequency Multibeam Backscatter Data
Backscatter mosaics based on a multi-frequency multibeam echosounder survey in the continental shelf setting of the North Sea were compared. The uncalibrated backscatter data were recorded with frequencies of 200, 400 and 600 kHz. The results showed that the seafloor appears mostly featureless in ac...
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doaj-51e1cb6b10ce438c848085c6fc0bbba82020-11-24T23:44:02ZengMDPI AGGeosciences2076-32632018-06-018621410.3390/geosciences8060214geosciences8060214Improved Interpretation of Marine Sedimentary Environments Using Multi-Frequency Multibeam Backscatter DataPeter Feldens0Inken Schulze1Svenja Papenmeier2Mischa Schönke3Jens Schneider von Deimling4Marine Geology, Leibniz Institute for Baltic Sea Research Warnemünde, 18119 Rostock, GermanyMarine Geology, Leibniz Institute for Baltic Sea Research Warnemünde, 18119 Rostock, GermanyAlfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research, Wadden Sea Research Station, 25992 List/Sylt, GermanyMarine Geology, Leibniz Institute for Baltic Sea Research Warnemünde, 18119 Rostock, GermanyInstitute of Geosciences, Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel, 24118 Kiel, GermanyBackscatter mosaics based on a multi-frequency multibeam echosounder survey in the continental shelf setting of the North Sea were compared. The uncalibrated backscatter data were recorded with frequencies of 200, 400 and 600 kHz. The results showed that the seafloor appears mostly featureless in acoustic backscatter mosaics derived from 600 kHz data. The same area surveyed with 200 kHz reveals numerous backscatter anomalies with diameters of 10–70 m deviating between −2 dB and +4 dB from the background sediment. Backscatter anomalies were further subdivided based on their frequency-specific texture and were attributed to bioturbation within the sediment and the presence of polychaetes on the seafloor. While low frequencies show the highest overall contrast between different seafloor types, a consideration of all frequencies permits an improved interpretation of subtle seafloor features.http://www.mdpi.com/2076-3263/8/6/214multibeam echosounderbackscattermulti-frequencybenthic habitatsNorth Sea |
collection |
DOAJ |
language |
English |
format |
Article |
sources |
DOAJ |
author |
Peter Feldens Inken Schulze Svenja Papenmeier Mischa Schönke Jens Schneider von Deimling |
spellingShingle |
Peter Feldens Inken Schulze Svenja Papenmeier Mischa Schönke Jens Schneider von Deimling Improved Interpretation of Marine Sedimentary Environments Using Multi-Frequency Multibeam Backscatter Data Geosciences multibeam echosounder backscatter multi-frequency benthic habitats North Sea |
author_facet |
Peter Feldens Inken Schulze Svenja Papenmeier Mischa Schönke Jens Schneider von Deimling |
author_sort |
Peter Feldens |
title |
Improved Interpretation of Marine Sedimentary Environments Using Multi-Frequency Multibeam Backscatter Data |
title_short |
Improved Interpretation of Marine Sedimentary Environments Using Multi-Frequency Multibeam Backscatter Data |
title_full |
Improved Interpretation of Marine Sedimentary Environments Using Multi-Frequency Multibeam Backscatter Data |
title_fullStr |
Improved Interpretation of Marine Sedimentary Environments Using Multi-Frequency Multibeam Backscatter Data |
title_full_unstemmed |
Improved Interpretation of Marine Sedimentary Environments Using Multi-Frequency Multibeam Backscatter Data |
title_sort |
improved interpretation of marine sedimentary environments using multi-frequency multibeam backscatter data |
publisher |
MDPI AG |
series |
Geosciences |
issn |
2076-3263 |
publishDate |
2018-06-01 |
description |
Backscatter mosaics based on a multi-frequency multibeam echosounder survey in the continental shelf setting of the North Sea were compared. The uncalibrated backscatter data were recorded with frequencies of 200, 400 and 600 kHz. The results showed that the seafloor appears mostly featureless in acoustic backscatter mosaics derived from 600 kHz data. The same area surveyed with 200 kHz reveals numerous backscatter anomalies with diameters of 10–70 m deviating between −2 dB and +4 dB from the background sediment. Backscatter anomalies were further subdivided based on their frequency-specific texture and were attributed to bioturbation within the sediment and the presence of polychaetes on the seafloor. While low frequencies show the highest overall contrast between different seafloor types, a consideration of all frequencies permits an improved interpretation of subtle seafloor features. |
topic |
multibeam echosounder backscatter multi-frequency benthic habitats North Sea |
url |
http://www.mdpi.com/2076-3263/8/6/214 |
work_keys_str_mv |
AT peterfeldens improvedinterpretationofmarinesedimentaryenvironmentsusingmultifrequencymultibeambackscatterdata AT inkenschulze improvedinterpretationofmarinesedimentaryenvironmentsusingmultifrequencymultibeambackscatterdata AT svenjapapenmeier improvedinterpretationofmarinesedimentaryenvironmentsusingmultifrequencymultibeambackscatterdata AT mischaschonke improvedinterpretationofmarinesedimentaryenvironmentsusingmultifrequencymultibeambackscatterdata AT jensschneidervondeimling improvedinterpretationofmarinesedimentaryenvironmentsusingmultifrequencymultibeambackscatterdata |
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1725500370922242048 |