What are the important tools for surveying the ocean floor?

Are you a gas, oil, or Internet Company looking to lay its pipelines or cables underwater? First and foremost, you need to survey to find out the appropriate location for laying your pipeline or cables under the seabed. You can either buy oceans tools for surveying the ocean or consider acquiring survey equipment rental from top oceanographic companies.

No matter what you decide to do, surveying the ocean before laying a submarine pipeline or submarine cable is crucial. Not only will it protect it from things like the gauging action of drifting ice features, but it also ensures that it follows a route with the least distractions that can cause serious damage. This is because most damages to submarine cables and pipelines are caused by trawling by fish boats and ships dropping anchor. Therefore, you will need tools like acoustic doppler current profiler for your survey.

Without much ado, here are some of the vital tools needed for surveying the ocean floor:

Magnetometer Winch

A magnetometer is a scientific tool utilized to measure magnetic field strength. Unlike on land where they are used to detect iron ore deposits; in the sea, they are used to find variations in the total magnetic field of the underlying ocean floor.

When put into action, the magnetometer can detect increased magnetization when it detects ferrous iron on the seabed. This iron can be from volcanic rocks containing grains of magnitude or a wrecked ship made of steel. After the magnetic field is known, this data can be used to know the right places for installing undersea cables and pipelines.

For the magnetometer to measure a magnetic field of an area in the ocean, it has to be lowered using a magnetometer winch. So, as you look for a reliable magnetometer device, also consider getting a quality winch to make your survey complete.

Multibeam sonar

Unlike a single beam sonar, multibeam sonar can map a swath of the seafloor under the ship. This device uses multiple sound signals to identify the seafloor. Most of these sonars can record acoustic backscatter information, which can be processed to form low-resolution imagery. Additionally, the backscatter data can pick up on plumes of bubbles.

In short, this data is important to know if the seafloor is safe for installing pipelines or cables. Also, it can be used to detect where gas is coming from on the seabed.

Side-scan sonars

One of the dangers of laying cables on the seafloor without surveying is that you can install them in the wrong area, which may cause damage to it. But if you do a survey, tools such as side-scan sonars can detect and image objects on the seabed. So, you won’t lay your cables on a wrecked ship, which may damage it after a few years.

Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler

An acoustic Doppler current profiler is a scientific tool that utilizes sound waves to evaluate the speed and direction of currents in the water column. An ocean surveyor needs to understand how water moves before laying submarine pipes and cables.

With this information, he or she can know which routes are the best to lay pipes for longevity and easier maintenance. For instance, installing pipelines in areas with high currents or high temperatures may hinder the laying process. On top of that, ocean areas with extreme water temperatures can hamper maintenance.

Laser scanners

Not only do lasers scanners help you to find objects on the seafloor, but they also help in laying the cables and pipelines on the ocean bottom. Besides, laser scanners are more accurate and faster than sonars in identifying objects on the seabed. That’s why you should include them in the survey equipment for rental that you intend to use to survey the seabed with.

Bottom line

Now that you know which tools are needed to survey the ocean before laying cables or pipelines, make sure to conduct a thorough survey before laying submarine cables or pipelines. If you’re an ocean surveyor company, you can buy these tools instead of hiring them. But if you’re a one-time surveyor or cable company, you can opt for ocean survey equipment for rental as it’s cheaper. Nonetheless, make sure to acquire the best oceanography survey tools from the best oceanographic company.

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