Quality control of survey data is an integral part of any hydrographic survey or inspection operation, but the focus is too often concentrated on the wrong sensors, the carrying out of unnecessary comparisons and ultimately burying real issues in a flood of confusing and con... (read more)

A recent article provides an overview of satellite-derived bathymetry methods and how data can be integrated into survey campaigns, and showcases three use cases. Bathymetric data in shallow-water zones is of increasing importance to support various applications such as safe... (read more)

‘Gather once, use many times’ has applied to bathymetric data gathering for many years, particularly in public bodies and organisations. Whilst understandable and desirable to have one infinitely adaptable dataset... (read more)

With over 500 line connections to and from more than 1,000 ports around the globe, the Port of Rotterdam in The Netherlands is the cornerstone of international freight transport. It is the perfect base for import an... (read more)

Synthetic Aperture Sonar (SAS) has been around for over a decade but its primary purpose has been in mine detection rather than hydrographic surveying. To use SAS effectively a stable survey platform is required such as an au... (read more)

Seaports, waterways and climate are inextricably linked. Weather anomalies change bottom contours and destroy aids to navigation, compromising safety. In the past decade maritime applications, maturing marine technologies and... (read more)

Fugro has tested a multi-sensor approach to balance growing data needs with limited agency budgets. Coastal mapping programmes are quickly becoming a priority for government agencies across the globe. The desire to bette... (read more)

In this internet age, crowdsourcing is fast providing practical contributions to our understanding of the world around us. Whether it be software developed in an open-source environment, inputs from ‘those in the know&r... (read more)

My earlier articles on the alignment of motion reference units (MRU) with the ships reference frame (SRF) did not cover the calibration of GNSS augmented heading systems. Although the alignment can be done in the same way as... (read more)

Acquiring accurate data on the structural integrity of submerged tunnels, as well as shafts and underwater caverns, has long been a challenging and costly problem for water companies, hydroelectric schemes and mine operators... (read more)

Hydrographic surveys in very shallow waters can have several applications such as nautical chart updating, performing environmental monitoring and characterisation, determination of dredged volumes, establishing navigational... (read more)

There is definite appeal to the concept of crowdsourced bathymetric data. But from where I sit as a National Hydrographer and nautical chart producer, the issues around using crowdsourced data are complex. Data quality, data... (read more)