Tritech SeaSprite Sonar in Antarctica
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Tritech SeaSprite Sonar in Antarctica

Tritech's SeaSprite sonar helps to map new locations under the frozen surface of the Antarctic Ocean that have previously been too remote or too deep to access. The three year SCINI (Submersible Capable of under Ice Navigation and Imaging) project team members began their research at The McMurdo Station, Antarctica, in October 2007.  

Extract from a diary entry written by BLee Williams, one of the members of the SCINI team:

Monday, November 19, 2007: Some Lessons Learned. I have been in Antarctica for coming on 18 days, and we have had VideoRay in water 10 of them. Including the last 6 days in a row. I call that reliable.

BLee Williams says;

"The Tritech sonar has been invaluable."

The sonar is the black cylinder at the front of the floatation block. It is very, very useful as a way of determining heading. Most work is done on a slope, and the direction of "up-hill" is known. Setting the sonar on polar (360 degree scan) and "High Speed" to keep track of which direction it gets shallow in has been critial to efficiently driving the VideoRay.

The sonar has been useful in making small scale maps showing how groups of objects relate to one another. To the side is a sonar image of three cages that have been on the ocean's floor for up to 40 years.

 

 

 

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