Application of a parametric source for sediment characterisation and object detection

Summary form only given. Parametric acoustic sources have been used in conventional sub-bottom profiling operation for some time. Due to their narrow acoustic beam, well defined signature and high relative bandwidth, very high spatial resolution can be achieved. These features will also be of interest in applications such as sediment characterisation, object detection and classification. In the MAST-III project ISACS, the TOPAS parametric source is used as the low frequency source for sediment characterisation. A model based classification scheme for normal incidence where surface and volume contributions are separated, has been developed. Results of using this model with the TOPAS source are presented. The parametric source also gives promising results when used for object detection and classification. Examples of results will be presented.