The Seafloor Mapping Project uses the multibeam bathymetry and acoustic backscatter data in a number of different research projects as well as to help other Federal, State, and local agencies.
All of the multibeam bathymetry and acoustic backscatter data collected by the Pacific Seafloor Mapping Project are available for free as online USGS Open-File Reports, Digital Data Series, or Clearinghouses.
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Accurate base maps are a prerequisite for any geological study,
regardless of the objectives. Land-based studies commonly utilize
aerial photographs, USGS 7.5-minute quadrangle maps, and satellite
images as base maps. Until now, studies that involve the ocean floor
have been at a disadvantage due to an almost complete lack of accurate
marine base maps. Many base maps of the sea floor have been
constructed over the past century but with a wide range in
navigational and depth accuracies.
Only in the past few years has marine navigational accuracy
approached 1 m and depth resolution 50 cm. State-of-the-art digital
multibeam systems are used to systematically map the seafloor. The two
types of data collected include bathymetry (seafloor depth) and
backscatter (data that can provide insight into the geologic makeup of
the seafloor). These data are of critical importance to groups as
diverse as marine habitat biologists, state and local authorities
setting regulations on seafloor uses, school children, and teachers.
The new high-resolution base maps will be used for:
- identifying areas of erosion and deposition on the continental shelf
- locating areas of geohazards (such as slumps and faults)
- locating pathways for movement of sediment and pollutants
Ongoing research is attempting to derive better relationships
between the backscatter collected from a multibeam mapping system and
the seafloor geology. The ultimate goal of this research is to convert
the backscatter maps into geologic maps.
