Effectiveness of vertical error budget model for portable multi-beam echo-sounder in shallow water bathymetric survey

Abstract

With the increasing availability of portable survey equipment and platforms, hydrographic data acquisition now offers a diverse range of device options and installation methods. Tailoring the mounting and installation of hydrographic survey devices to fit the boat or platform dimensions has become common practice. The use of portable equipment is essential, given the wide selection of combined options available in the market. Consequently, sensor offsets and device performance differ for each survey conducted, necessitating the constant verification of accuracy performance.This paper examines the capabilities of portable multibeam echosounder (MBES) deployments on various types of survey boats. The investigation focuses on error budget modeling and field tests. A model is developed to estimate the propagated uncertainty resulting from different sources of measurement uncertainties. The model primarily considers vertical sources of error in MBES surveys, as they have the most significant impact on hydrographic data quality. To validate the model, field tests are conducted at two different locations using different boat and device configurations. The results demonstrate that the modeled uncertainties align with the measured standard deviations, particularly in the Pramuka area, where the standard deviation of data acquired at the widest beam angle of ±60° is 0.25m, close to the predicted value of 0.28m. However, in the Patimban area, the model overestimates the uncertainty, predicting 0.27m compared to the measured standard deviation of 0.17m.