PROCESSING OF ACOUSTIC IMAGES OF THE BOTTOM DURING ENGINEERING– GEOLOGICAL SURVEYS IN THE AQUATIC AREAS

Abstract

During engineering surveys in water areas, the side-scan sonar method (SSS) plays an important role in detecting hazards located on the surface of the seabed. At the same time, the SSS recording is often complicated by several interference associated with the surveying conditions (thermocline); with the joint surveying of several methods(the spikes from the transponder-responder); with weather conditions (strips in the records due to irregular movement of the vessel and twitching of the towing cable) and others. The solution of description, analysis and removal these interferences without losses quantity and quality of useful information is shown. The description of the results of interference removal from the sonar recording is important not only for data improvement, but also for understanding in which cases interference can be removed, and in which cases it is necessary to re-pass profile or change the surveying conditions. An analysis of the interferences, usually present on sonar recordings, and methods of dealing with some of them to increase the effectiveness of the sonar data processing during engineering surveys are presented. Herewith, the analysis of interferences is performed for the possibility of their localization, separation from useful record and removal. The study shows that with the approach chosen by the authors, the data on potential hazards are not lost, while the signal-to-interference ratio significantly increases. As a result of the work, conclusions were obtained that some types of interference can be completely eliminated by processing methods, some can only be partially removed, and certain cannot yet be removed by processing methods and it is necessary to eliminate such interference methodologically.