Water & Marine

Water & Marine

Bathymetric survey (SBES / MBES / USV)

Measure the underwater bed to produce depth maps and sections.

Discuss this service

What you receive

  • Georeferenced soundings
  • Bathymetric chart and bed model
  • Cross-sections and depth contours
  • Survey, calibration and uncertainty report
How we deliver

Scope & options

SBES records depth along survey lines; MBES maps a swath of the bed; USV describes the carrier rather than the sonar method.

Hydrographic depth depends on positioning, vertical datum, water level and sound-speed treatment as well as the sounder.

Survey order/uncertainty requirements are set by the intended engineering or navigation use.

Explore 5 service variants

Single-beam echo sounding (SBES)

Measure depths along planned survey lines.

Interpolation between lines is not full seabed feature detection.

Multibeam echo sounding (MBES)

Measure a swath of depths and seabed features.

Coverage and detection depend on survey design and conditions.

Uncrewed surface vessel (USV) survey

Carry survey instruments on a remotely operated surface craft.

USV is the platform; it does not identify the sonar type or survey quality.

Drone-tethered echo sounding

Use a drone to position a sonar sensor on difficult water reaches.

Specialist aircraft configuration and safe water access must be confirmed.

Topobathymetry and bathymetric LiDAR processing

Join land and underwater terrain or process specialist shallow-water optical data.

Water clarity, depth and source availability constrain optical methods; no generic depth promise.

Useful to know

Terms, explained
SBES
Single-beam echo sounder: depth measurements along survey lines.
MBES
Multibeam echo sounder: a swath of depth measurements across the vessel track.
USV
Uncrewed surface vessel: a platform that can carry suitable hydrographic sensors.
Should I choose SBES, MBES or USV?

SBES and MBES are measurement methods; a USV is a carrier. The required coverage, feature detection, depth and access determine the combination.

Can ordinary drone photographs map the bottom of a muddy lake?

A validated measurement method and suitable references are required. Turbidity and surface reflections can obscure the bed. Appropriate sonar or another validated specialist method is needed.

Will this be suitable for navigation?

It can support navigation only when the survey is contracted to the required hydrographic standard and accepted by the competent authority; an engineering depth model alone is not an official navigation chart.

What makes two depth surveys comparable?

Compatible datums, water-level corrections, positioning, coverage and processing. These must be documented before calculating changes.

Method & limitations

Choose the sonar method separately from the vessel or USV platform.

Specify vertical datum, positioning, sound-speed and water-level corrections.

Agree coverage, uncertainty and any required hydrographic survey standard.

Interpolation between lines is not full seabed feature detection.

Coverage and detection depend on survey design and conditions.

USV is the platform; it does not identify the sonar type or survey quality.

Specialist aircraft configuration and safe water access must be confirmed.

Water clarity, depth and source availability constrain optical methods; no generic depth promise.

Sources & references

Your project

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Bathymetric survey (SBES / MBES / USV)

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Help me ask
  • Do I need line soundings or full-coverage bathymetry?
  • Which vertical datum and water-level corrections will be used?
  • Can a USV reach the water safely, or is another platform needed?
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