CSIRO’s Wealth from Oceans Flagship is developing an airborne, remote-sensing instrument that can ‘see’ beneath water, even when the water is cloudy, by the use of optical and acoustic technologies. (4:46)
Sonar, as a means of acoustically locating an object in water by the measuring its echo characteristics, has been around for sometime. Early experiments began with sonar not long after the loss of the Titanic as a means of detecting icebergs, and later for submarines in the First and Second World Wars.
These days sonar can be used for looking at everything from the bottom of the ocean to the top of the waves.
Conventional sonar requires an acoustic sensor to be placed in the water before measurements can be taken, either from a boat or dropped from a plane, while systems that shine a laser beam onto the sea floor require clear water to work effectively.
In this podcast, Dr David Farrant from CSIRO Materials Science and Engineering, explains how the new equipment will use sound waves generated by a laser fired from a low-flying aircraft to create an ‘echo’ between the sea surface and the sea floor.
Called Opto-Acoustic Underwater Remote Sensing or (OAURS), it will potentially allow remote sea-floor mapping of coastal waters for a variety of environmental, economic, and security purposes rapidly from the air.
National Research Flagships
CSIRO initiated the National Research Flagships to provide science-based solutions in response to Australia’s major research challenges and opportunities. The nine Flagships form multidisciplinary teams with industry and the research community to deliver impact and benefits for Australia.
Read more about Probing the depths of coastal waters: opto-acoustic underwater remote sensing.
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