Sub-Bottom Profiling

Lower-frequency acoustic sensing that penetrates the seabed to image sediment layers beneath the surface.

Technique

What It Produces

Reveals buried structure — sediment stratigraphy, a wreck partially covered by sand, or a pipeline's actual burial depth — that a surface-only survey can't see.

Scope

Where It Fits

Penetration depth trades against resolution and is sediment-dependent; scoped per site rather than run as a fixed default on every survey.

Platform

Deployed From

Run from the same 7m/9m platforms covered under Platforms, applied to subsea survey work and heritage and conservation missions alike — the technique doesn't change, only the purpose it's deployed for.

Frequently Asked

What is Sub-Bottom Profiling?

Lower-frequency acoustic sensing that penetrates the seabed to image sediment layers beneath the surface.

What does it produce?

Reveals buried structure — sediment stratigraphy, a wreck partially covered by sand, or a pipeline's actual burial depth — that a surface-only survey can't see.

What are its limits?

Penetration depth trades against resolution and is sediment-dependent; scoped per site rather than run as a fixed default on every survey.

Other Capabilities

Multibeam Bathymetry

Full-coverage depth mapping using a fan of simultaneous sonar beams rather than a single vertical ping.

Side-Scan Sonar

Towed or hull-mounted sonar that images seabed texture and objects sitting on it, rather than depth alone.

Photogrammetry

3D reconstruction from overlapping photographs, covering the shoreline and any structure above the waterline.

ROV Inspection

Remotely operated vehicle deployment for direct visual inspection and light intervention at a specific point.

Environmental eDNA Sampling

Water sampling for environmental DNA — genetic material shed by organisms — to characterize what's present in an area.

Scope a Sub-Bottom Profiling Survey

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