BATHYMETRY

•What is Bathymetry?
• Bathymetric features.
• Methods used for bathymetric surveys.
• Importance of bathymetry to marine life.
 What is Bathymetry?
 Bathymetry from Ancient Greek bathús or 'deep' and métron or
‘measure’ , is the study of underwater depth of ocean floors (seabed
topography), lake floors, or river floors. The term bathymetry is
defined as the depth of water relative to sea level.

 Bathymetry is the foundation of the science of hydrography, which

measures the physical features of a water body. Hydrography
includes not only bathymetry, but also the shape and features of the
shoreline; the characteristics of tides, currents, and waves; and the
physical and chemical properties of the water itself.
Bathymetric map
of the Philippine
Sea Basin.
Bathymetry:
GEBCO Global
Relief Model 15
arc sec resolution
grid, mapping:
GMT (Source:
author)
Bathymetry of the
ocean floor showing
the
continental shelves
and
oceanic plateaus
(red), the
mid-ocean ridges
(yellow-green) and
the abyssal plains
(blue to purple).
What is Bathymetry data?
 Bathymetry data is a map or set of
measurements from a bathymetric
survey. It gives an accurate
representation of the ocean bed and any
structures that may be present.
 Bathymetric
Data

A bathymetric image of
Lake Huron. In the
same way that
topographic maps
represent the three-
dimensional features
(or relief) of overland
terrain, bathymetric
maps illustrate the land
that lies underwater.
How is bathymetric data used?
Includes information about the depths and shapes of underwater
terrain, has a range of uses:
 Nautical charts → These charts, based on bathymetric data,
guide mariners the same way road maps guide drivers. Having
accurate information about the depth of the water and potential
underwater hazards is essential for safe maritime
transportation, especially for large ships.
 Studying changing coastline features → Scientists use
bathymetric data to study the effects of climate change and to
monitor beach erosion, sea level rise, and subsidence (land
sinking).
 Hydrodynamic models → Bathymetric data is used to create
models that can calculate currents, tides, water temperature, and
salinity in an area. These models can also be used to predict tides
and currents, as well as hazards like coastal flooding and rip
tides.

 Studying marine life → Scientists use bathymetric data to study

the habitats of benthic (bottom-dwelling) organisms. Bathymetric
maps can help scientists determine where fish and other marine
life feed, live, and breed. Bathymetric data is also used to create
maps of coral habitats to assist in conservation and monitoring.

Accurate bathymetry is essential for navigation and ocean science.

 Bathymetric features
What bathymetric features can you see in the Northern Pacific?
In the North Pacific basin, where Ocean Tracks is focused,
there are a variety of different sea floor features that are of
interest, and that play a role in the distribution of marine
animals. Each of these features has their own, unique
inhabitants; and each of the features can also affect the physical,
chemical and biological environment above them in the open
ocean.
Continental Slope
Along the North American coastline, there are many
places where the sea floor drops off quickly not far
from shore. Winds and currents interact in coastal
areas to generate the upwelling of cold, nutrient-rich
water along the continental slope. More details on
upwelling are in the section on ocean currents.
Source: http://www.teara.govt.nz/files/m5602gns.jpg
This view of the bathymetry off the coast of California shows that the sea floor is fairly shallow close
to shore, then it drops off steeply.
Seamounts
 Seamounts are actually undersea mountains that don’t reach the water
surface (the peaks of mountains that reach above the ocean surface
become islands!).

 Often seamounts are extinct volcanoes. There are approximately 100,000

seamounts across the globe, reaching heights as much as 4,000 m (13,000
ft) measured from their base to their peaks. Most of these mountains have
not been explored because they are so far below the surface.
Mauna Kea, the
tallest island in
Hawaii,
measures 10,200
meters (33,500
ft) from its base
on the ocean
floor to its peak.
Abyssal Plains

 The seamounts rise from vast abyssal plains which cover huge
expanses of the sea floor – not unlike the Great Plains on land.
The abyssal plains cover more than 50% of Earth’s surface and
are the most unexplored portions of the planet.

 The abyssal plains are largely covered by fine sediments,

including clay and silt. Highly diverse communities of microbes
and invertebrates inhabit these sediments, feeding on material
that drops from the overlying water column.
At depths of over
10,000 feet and
covering 70% of the
ocean
floor, abyssal plains
are the largest
habitat on earth.
Sunlight does not
penetrate to the sea
floor, making these
deep, dark
ecosystems less
productive than
those along the
continental shelf.
Trenches
 Oceanic trenches are long,
narrow depressions in the
sea floor, which are visible
as dark blue lines ringing
the edge of the Pacific
Ocean basin. These
trenches form where two
tectonic plates are moving
toward each other, and one
dives beneath the other in
a subduction zone.
There are many
other features you
may also notice
revealed by the
bathymetry map of
the Pacific Ocean
floor. These
features are clues
that the ocean floor
is moving and
changing due to
plate tectonic
forces.
Methods used for Bathymetric surveys.
What is Bathymetric Survey?

 The bathymetric survey is a type of survey that helps determine the

depth of water in an area. The accuracy of this information is
determined by the type and condition of the marine growth, which
will in turn affect the amount of bottom features that are visible.

Multiple methods can be used for bathymetric surveys including

Multi-beam and single-beam surveys, ADCPs, Sub-bottom profilers,
and the Ecomapper Autonomous Underwater Vehicle.
Multi-beam and Single-beam surveys
 Unlike single-beam sonar,
which uses just one
transducer to map the
seafloor, a multibeam sonar
sends out multiple,
simultaneous sonar beams
(or sound waves) at once in
a fan-shaped pattern. This
covers the space both
directly under the ship and
Figure 1. Coverage of single-beam and multi-beam echo
out to each side. sounders (Kearns and Breman et al., 2010).
Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler
 An Acoustic Doppler
Current Profiler (ADCPs)
is a hydroacoustic current
meter similar to a sonar,
used to measure water
current velocities over a
depth range using the
Doppler effect of sound
waves scattered back from
particles within the water
column.
Sub-bottom profilers
 Sub-bottom profilers are
usually comprised of
single channel source that
sends sound pulses into
the shallow sub-sea floor
sediments. The sound
pulses bounce off the sea
floor and subsequent
buried sediment layers
according to differences in
their acoustic impedance
(hardness).
Ecomapper Autonomous Underwater Vehicle.
 The Ecomapper is an
autonomous underwater
vehicle (AUV) that is a
specialized submersibile
device that operates by
propelling through a water
body between points along
a constant depth. It
generates high-resolution
maps of water quality,
water currents, bathymetry,
and sonar imagery.
Importance of bathymetry to marine life
• The importance of bathymetric can help scientists determine where and other marine life feed , live
and breed.
• Bathymetric data is also used to create maps of coral habitats to assist in conservation and
monitoring.
• Bathymetry is where nutrient – rich water, this nutrient – rich water support high levels of primary
production.
• Bathymetric mapping provides the ability to identify the water volume of resource at various depth
stages . This knowledge is integral in the decision – making process for several water uses such as
drinking water storage , fisheries management, navigation ,recreation ,irrigation and water
treatment.
• Bathymetric maps contain information on the depths of landforms below sea level resources for
sustainable development.
• Underwater mapping is important, high – resolution seafloor mapping is a critical tool for
regulating underwater resources exploration , extraction and equipment, allowing us to decide what
and where is safe.
• Seafloor maps also ensure that ships are able to safely maneuver around natural and human made
structures on the ocean bottom.