SOA Selects ATLAS Multibeam Echo Sounder for Future Projects
The 3rd Institute of Oceanography of the State Oceanographic Administration (SOA) in Xiamen, China, have awarded Atlas Hydrographic a contract to supply an Atlas Hydrosweep multibeam echo sounder. The system with depth range capability of more than 2,000m will be used for hydrographic surveying from mid 2014.
Besides its standard functions of recording high-accurate bathymetric data of the seafloor structure and the ability of recording up to 10,000 side scan values in parallel, the Hydrosweep MD/50 comes with its 4x multi-ping feature. In this operation mode up to four swaths can be generated simultaneously per ping using frequency modulation in order to increase the data density along track. As a result, the new multibeam echo sounder maintains gapless coverage at high survey speed enabling SOA fulfilling its tasks more efficiently in shorter time.
Delivery of the system is scheduled for March 2014 and the sea acceptance trials will be conducted soon after. The MD/50 for SOA will be the third Hydrosweep multibeam echo sounder in China and another major step for Atlas Hydrographic in China’s growing deep-sea market.
Image: Atlas Hydrosweep multibeam echo sounder bathymetric data sample of an area of 30x30km² recorded in average water depth of 3,700m, 100m grid size.
