Comparison of EM 120 multibeam echo sounding data with SeaBeam 2000 data acquired at KODOS(Korea Deep Ocean Study) area

Abstract

The EM 120, a newly installed multibeam echo sounder on R/V Onnuri, has several advantages over the previously installed SeaBeam 2000 in performance and thus data quality. The EM 120 system provides a bottom topographic map with high resolution by (1) increasing the number of beams, (2) increasing the across track swath range, (3) measuring the more accurate sound velocity within the water column, and (4) improving stabilization for pitching, rolling, and yawing of the ship. This study compares EM 120 and SeaBeam 2000 echo sounders in terms of the data quality from the same survey area in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone, NE Pacific. Our result shows that the EM 120 provides more precise topographic data than the SeaBeam 2000. Although overall trends of data, such as topographic direction and relief, are similar for both echo sounders, the water depths measured by the EM 120 are shallower than that of SeaBeam 2000 by 80 to 90 meters.