Riverbed Surveying

Hydromapping - High Resolution Shallow Water Mapping from an Airborne Platform

In order to meet the requirements of the European Water Framework Directive (EU-WFD), authorities face the problem of performing area-wide surveys of all kinds of inland waters repeatedly. Especially for mid-sized and small rivers, a traditional survey approach imposes almost insurmountable logistical efforts and costs. Employing the new airborne hydrographic laser scanner RIEGL VQ-820-G, potential large-scale surveying of a river system is exemplarily demonstrated on the river Loisach in southern Germany, carried out by the company AirborneHydroMapping (AHM) and the University of Innsbruck. By Martin Pfennigbauer, RIEGL, and Frank Steinbacher, University of Innsbruck, Austria. In co-operation with the Bavarian Water... (read more)

2012-03-08 04:33:36

Chinese Surveying

Japan has protested against alleged surveillance activities by a Chinese vessel near disputed islands. Japan says it spotted a Chinese ship early on Sunday that was apparently carrying out research in what Tokyo considers its waters in the East China Sea. It says the Chinese ship was surveying an area about 30 kilometres west of Uotsuri Island and left after verbal warnings from a Japanese patrol boat. Japan issued a protest to the Chinese embassy in Tokyo, which said it would check the details of the incident. (read more)

2007-02-06 11:12:24

Surveying the River Dee

The challenges of a mission (im)possible

In April 2004 an unusual vessel, the Afon Dyfwydwy made its first transit down the River Dee carrying the wings for the new Airbus A380. This was the culmination of many years of work for a number of companies, including Pelorus Surveys, and a proud moment for all involved. The Airbus factory at Broughton produces the wings for the Airbus range of aircraft and, to date, these have all been transported to the assembly facility in Toulouse, France using a modified Airbus flying from Broughton. However, each of the wings for the A380 is 48 metres long, 14 metres wide... (read more)

2008-01-01 01:00:00

Surveying for Offshore Wind

Developing the Third Market

Many giants are drilling for oil and gas: the gold of the sea. Since the beginning of the new millennium, however, a new kind of energy potential of the sea has been discovered: wind energy. The fastest way to create substantial amounts of this green energy is to build offshore wind farms. The seas have space enough, the wind yield is higher than on shore and the visual impact, which is so often a difficult hurdle to overcome on shore, is not an issue at sea. Wind energy is characterised by renewability and sustainability, both of which are important issues, as we... (read more)

2009-09-02 12:00:00

Surveying in the Extremes

Western Ross Sea, Antarctica

Last month the National Institute of Water & Atmospheric Research's (NIWA) deepwater 70m research vessel <i>Tangaroa</i> returned from a voyage to Antarctic waters. It had here continued hydrographic survey work begun in 2001 for New Zealand's national hydrographic authority, Land Information New Zealand (LINZ). It had also completed a biodiversity study of the north-western Ross Sea and around the Balleny Islands (from a depth of about 50m down to about 700m) for the Ministry of Fisheries. NIWA is New Zealand's provider of environmental research and consultancy services in coast, oceans, freshwater, fisheries, atmosphere and climate. In recent years it has... (read more)

2008-01-01 01:00:00

Surveying and Charting

Hydro International Interviews Rear Admiral (R) Andres Roque Di Vincenzo

Surveying, charting and monitoring a complex and vast area which includes features from rivers, waterways, a long Atlantic coast to the Antarctic Peninsula environment, is a very challenging task. Only a well-equipped Governmental Hydrographic Institution can cope with it. The Servicio de Hidrografia Naval (SHN) of the Republic of Argentina, continuously produces the nautical information needed by sailors and the scientific world. In doing this, SHN benefits from its membership of the International Hydrographic Organization and of the Organisation of the Antarctic Treaty. Rear Admiral Di Vincenzo, who has headed the SHN for the past four years, explains how they... (read more)

2011-12-19 03:33:53

Handbooks of Offshore Surveying

This three-volume Handbook of Offshore Surveying has been written by hydrographic surveyors, geophysicists, survey engineers, rov pilots, geodesists, captains, project managers, geologists and land surveyors. All examples detailed in the Handbook are derived from situations encountered in their years as Surveyors offshore and onshore around the world. The three volumes comprise of: Projects, Preparation & Processing (Volume I ); Positioning & Tides (Volume II) and Acquisition Sensors (Volume III). Skilltrade was founded to provide vocational training to professionals who are affiliated with the offshore survey industry. Because of the demand for training in general, courses are now also... (read more)

2011-02-09 03:02:37

Canadian Arctic Surveying

For the third year running James Williams has ventured into the Canadian Arctic with Aquatics to support land and hydrographic survey work for Shell Canada, Shell Oil, Devon, EnCana and Esso. The team of seven, including local Inuit to protect them from the unpredictable wildlife, camped rough through the Arctic tundra river system of the Mackenzie Delta. Using the latest sonar technology in the form of a Ross Sweep system with 6 transducers mounted on a 15m boom, water depths from 5m to less than 1m were consistently mapped in many of the shallow areas that are located at the... (read more)

2007-01-08 03:55:10

Surveying the Venetian Lagoon

The world's best-known estuarine lagoon has been of tremendous historical importance in sheltering the city of Venice. It is an ever-changing environment with only 8% covered by land, 12% by open water and the remaining 80% by mud flats, tidal shallows and salt marshes. This geographical setting, hosting complex ecosystems, is influenced by tidal cycles entering through three sea inlets and freshwater and sediment supplied by river influx. The Venice Institute of Marine Science (ISMAR-CNR) is engaged in numerous projects regarding researching and monitoring the lagoon. Monitoring changes to the environment is becoming ever-more important in view of... (read more)

2012-01-23 10:44:08

Surveying the Florida Reef

The Florida Reef became a menace to shipping in the 1500s when the Spanish discovered that the safest way home for their New World gold and silver was north through the Florida Straits. With the Cay Sal and Bahama banks to starboard, the reef, arcing along the Florida Keys, to port, and the Gulf Stream on their stern, first the treasure fleets and later thousands of European ships made the passage through the ‘New Bahama Channel’. As the territory west of the Appalachians and then west of the Mississippi was settled, American ships began to fill the Straits as well,... (read more)

2012-07-26 03:14:24