Calibrating Backscatter for Multibeam Echosounders

Multibeam echosounders send out sound pulses and measure both seafloor depth and the strength of the returned echo (backscatter). While depth is usually well corrected, the backscatter values can vary a lot depending on the instrument,  angles, and vessel motion. If not corrected, these variations hide the true properties of the seabed.

This project will test new methods that make backscatter data more consistent. The starting point of this task is a recent method  Hiroji & Hughes Clarke (2025), which simplifies the established methods.

The basic idea is simple: the same piece of seabed should give the same echo strength no matter the angle you look at it and use vessel motion to extract backscatter correction during normal operation.

Hiroji, Anand, and John Hughes Clarke. "Radiometric Beam Pattern Extraction and Relative Calibration Method for Backscatter Strength Data from Motion-Stabilized Multibeam Systems." IEEE Journal of Oceanic Engineering (2025). https://doi.org/10.1109/JOE.2025.3553936

Point of contact: Tor Inge Birkenes Lønmo, Kongsberg Discovery, tor.inge.birkenes.lonmo@kd.kongsberg.com

Published Sep. 19, 2025 11:26 AM - Last modified Sep. 19, 2025 12:27 PM

Supervisor(s)

  • Tor Inge Birkenes Lønmo (Kongsberg Discovery)

Scope (credits)

60