Sea floor classification using multibeam sonar

The paper presents the method of seabed identification and classification using multibeam sonar echoes. The proposed approach is based on calculation of a set of parameters of an echo envelope. The parameters are extracted for each consecutive beam allowing the estimation of their dependence on the seafloor incident angle, and then the relation between seabed type and calculated echo parameters and its angular dependence is investigated. The paper concerns the experiment which has been carried out in Gdansk Bay in November 2008, and some comparisons of the results with those obtained during previous experiment in September 2007. The results for several bottom types are presented and discussed. It was confirmed that the information extracted from multibeam seafloor sensing data, e.g. "water column" recordings, may be useful in seafloor characterisation.