Survey vessel

A survey vessel is any type of ship or boat that is used for underwater surveys, usually to collect data for mapping or planning underwater construction or mineral extraction. It is a type of research vessel, and may be designed for the purpose, modified for the purpose or temporarily put into the service as a vessel of opportunity, and may be crewed, remotely operated, or autonomous. The size and equipment vary to suit the task and availability. The task of survey vessels is to map the bottom, and measure the characteristics of the benthic zone, full water column, and surface for the purpose of: hydrography, the measurement and description of the physical features of oceans and other natural bodies of water, and the prediction of their change over time, for the primary purpose of safety of navigation and in support of other activities associated with those bodies of water, general oceanography, the scientific study of the oceans, mapping of marine habitats as part of the process of assessing the state of the ecology, measurement of environmental impact of natural and anthropogenic changes, planning of marine salvage, the process of recovering a ship and its cargo after a shipwreck or other maritime casualty, dredging, the excavation of material from underwater, to recover materials or to alter the bottom profile, usually for navigational of construction purposes, underwater construction, which is industrial construction in an underwater environment, coastal engineering, the branch of civil engineering concerned with construction at or near the coast, and the development of the coast itself, maritime archaeology, the study of human interaction with the sea, lakes and rivers through the study of associated physical remains, underwater mining and extraction of petroleum. Typically, modern survey vessels are equipped with one or more of the following equipment: Satellite navigation to provide autonomous geo-spatial positioning, Single beam sonar for the measurement of underwater physical and biological components, Multibeam sonar to accurately and efficiently map the seabed Side-scan sonar to efficiently create relief images of large areas of the sea floor.

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Related concepts (4)

Using global reanalysis data to quantify and correct airflow distortion bias in shipborne wind speed measurements

Julia Schmale, Sebastian Johannes Heinz-Josef Landwehr

At sea, wind forcing is responsible for the formation and development of surface waves and represents an important source of near-surface turbulence. Therefore, processes related to near-surface turbulence and wave breaking, such as sea spray emission and ...

2020

Evolution of the hydromorphodynamics of mountain river confluences for varying discharge ratios and junction angles

Anton Schleiss, Mário Jorge Rodrigues Pereira Da Franca, Sebastián Guillén Ludeña, António Heleno Cardoso

Mountain river confluences are characterized by narrow and steep tributaries that supply abundant sediment load to a main channel that, in turn, provides the dominant flow discharge. In addition, bed sediments consist of poorly sorted mixtures that promote ...

Elsevier2016

Eastern pacific emitted aerosol cloud experiment

Athanasios Nenes, Robin Lewis Modini, Zheng Wang

A coordinated field experiment, the Eastern Pacific Emitted Aerosol Cloud Experiment (E-PEACE) campaign, in which the effects of well-defined aerosol perturbations on marine stratocumulus clouds were probed via in situ aircraft and satellite observations. ...

2013

Research vessel

A research vessel (RV or R/V) is a ship or boat designed, modified, or equipped to carry out research at sea. Research vessels carry out a number of roles. Some of these roles can be combined into a single vessel but others require a dedicated vessel. Due to the demanding nature of the work, research vessels may be constructed around an icebreaker hull, allowing them to operate in polar waters. History of research ships The research ship had origins in the early voyages of exploration.

Marine salvage

Marine salvage is the process of recovering a ship and its cargo after a shipwreck or other maritime casualty. Salvage may encompass towing, lifting a vessel, or effecting repairs to a ship. Protecting the coastal environment from oil spillages or other contaminants from a modern ship can also be a motivator, as oil, cargo, and other pollutants can easily leak from a wreck. Before the invention of radio, salvage services would be given to a stricken vessel by any passing ship.

Hydrography

Hydrography is the branch of applied sciences which deals with the measurement and description of the physical features of oceans, seas, coastal areas, lakes and rivers, as well as with the prediction of their change over time, for the primary purpose of safety of navigation and in support of all other marine activities, including economic development, security and defense, scientific research, and environmental protection. The origins of hydrography lay in the making of charts to aid navigation, by individual mariners as they navigated into new waters.