Teledyne Marine highlights the performance of its SeaBat D100 following a sea trial offshore South Korea, conducted as part of the system’s broader validation program.
Operating from a vessel of opportunity in water depths exceeding 1,000 meters, the trial demonstrated the compact deep-water multibeam echosounder’s ability to deliver high-density bathymetric data, maintain wide swath coverage, and simplify survey operations through automated controls and flexible deployment.
Deployment from a Vessel of Opportunity
The Korean trial was designed to demonstrate the SeaBat D100’s suitability for deployment on a vessel of opportunity. The system was installed through a moonpool in a pole-mounted configuration, with its compact sonar head and 19-inch rack-mounted electronics enabling rapid mobilization without the extensive vessel modifications often required for deep-water multibeam systems.
Developed for portable deployments and temporary survey needs, the SeaBat D100 can be transferred between platforms, making it suitable for projects where dedicated survey vessels are unavailable.
High-Density Mapping Beyond 1,000 Meters
Survey operations took place in water depths exceeding 1,000 meters, with operators monitoring georeferenced bathymetric data in real time. Throughout the trial, the system delivered consistent performance while producing detailed seabed mapping.
A key focus was the SeaBat D100’s 4x multi-ping capability, which significantly increases along-track sounding density. Collecting more measurements during each pass can improve data resolution while reducing overall vessel time.
Despite Sea State 3-4 conditions with occasional larger waves, the system maintained stable operation and achieved swath coverage exceeding three times the water depth.
Built-in roll and pitch stabilization helped compensate for vessel motion, supporting consistent coverage and reliable data quality. Yaw-induced gaps were filled by adding more detections through multi-ping.
Deep-Water Survey Operation
Operating between 44 and 60 kHz, the SeaBat D100 is designed for depths from 10 to 3,000 meters. The system supports CW and FM pulse technologies and captures bathymetry, backscatter, and water-column data for hydrographic and offshore applications.
During the trial, automated control of parameters including range, pulse length, and gate settings reduced operator workload while maintaining optimized performance. Combined with familiar SeaBat workflows, these features can simplify training and help survey teams focus on data quality and mission objectives.
The South Korea sea trial formed one part of the SeaBat D100’s broader validation program, demonstrating its performance under real survey conditions.
