Kongsberg GeoAcoustics GeoChirp 3D sub-bottom profiler delivered to China

GeoChirp 3D high resolution sub-bottom profiler provides three dimensional acoustical images of shallow sub-seabed structures and buried objects. It transfers the well-established principles of conventional 3D reflection seismics, used in hydrocarbon exploration, to high resolution chirp sub-bottom profiler technology.

The surface towed GeoChirp 3D incorporating a chirp sub-bottom profiler, 60 channel receive array together with GPS and MRU positioning solutions.

It has been used in a wide variety of applications, including marine archaeology, imaging buried wrecks of historical importance in the UK; marine geology, researching landslide mechanisms in Norwegian Fjords and locating buried objects in UXO (un-exploded ordnance) surveys. The First Institute of Oceanography (FIO), in Qingdao is its first commercial customer. China’s internationally reputed research institution is looking forward to applying the state of the art technology in its line of research. The system has been originally developed at the National Oceanography Centre, Southampton, UK with support from Kongsberg GeoAcoustics, who now have made this unique technology available in the commercial market.

A buried object consisting of a small metal plate attached to a wooden pole as imaged by the 3D high resolution sub-bottom profiler. The 3D data volume is represented by two vertical and one horizontal slice through the sub-seafloor, revealing the geometry of the buried object in great detail.