ASA 130th Meeting - St. Louis, MO - 1995 Nov 27 .. Dec 01

5aUW4. Measurements of the acoustic (200 kHz) backscatter from a carbonate sediment at low grazing angles.

Robert A. Altenburg

Nicholas P. Chotiros

Appl. Res. Labs., Univ. of Texas, P.O. Box 8029, Austin, TX 78713-8029

A multibeam sonar, mounted on a remotely operated vehicle, and operated at 200 kHz was used to acquire bottom backscatter data at nine different sites in the Dry Tartugas near Key West, Florida. The bottom in this area is carbonate mud and biogenic carbonate detritus (hermitific corals, shells, etc.). Bottom backscattering strength as a function of grazing angle for each site, supported by bottom core sample analyses, is presented. A wide range of bottom backscattering strength values were measured and some correlation between bottom type and backscattering strength was found. [Work sponsored by ONR under management by NRL/SSC under the Coastal Benthic Boundary Layer Special Research Program.]