Abstract
Conventional Bathymetry, Bathymetry from Space, and Geodetic Altimetry
Highlights
This article offers a general introduction to those aspects of bathymetric mapping and satellite altimetry that are relevant to bathymetry from space
A space mission cannot “see” the ocean floor directly; instead, it observes gravity anomalies that can be correlated with ocean floor topography
Since navigational charts exist to promote maritime safety, they often have a “shoal bias.”. They must portray any known bottom feature shallow enough to present a hazard to shipping, but they need not indicate any deeper aspects of bottom shape. the depths indicated on these charts do not give a complete view of the seafloor
Summary
Direct measurement of ocean floor depth is done by echosounding from a ship. This technique has become highly refined since the 1980s and systems can map a swath of area beneath a ship’s track with a width as much as twice the water depth in deep water. If a complete global survey could be made by swath mapping, it would have much higher resolution and accuracy than what can be done from space Until such a survey is a reality, we must work with the available data, which are primarily older, “low-tech” analog echosoundings. The mandate for soundings has come from the need to chart hazards to navigation, that is, bottom features that are so shallow that a ship could run aground on them at low tide. This naturally concentrates mapping efforts very close to shorelines. Satellite navigation are rarely deployed for exploratory mapping in unsurveyed areas
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