Caracterización y observación del fondo marino con un nuevo sistema de sonar de barrido frontal

• Autores: Belén Alonso Martínez, Ferran Estrada Llacer, Marcelino Farrán, Gemma Ercilla Zárraga, J. Baraza, P. Rodríguez, J. Sorribas
• Localización: Geotemas (Madrid), ISSN 1576-5172, Nº. 1, 4, 2000 (Ejemplar dedicado a: V Congreso Geológico de España (Alicante, 10-14 julio 2000)), págs. 87-92
• Idioma: español
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• Resumen

  • A prototype multi-beam front-scan sonar system has been defined for the characterization and observation of the seafloor. This system has been developed within the framework of COSMOS Project (Ref. MAS3-CT97-0090). The first sea trial to test the capabilities of the COSMOS sonar took place recently in the Catalan continental shelf. Three areas were selected (Blanes, Barcelona and Vilanova) based on the huge volume of geological background information of these areas, which has allowed the accomplishement of the following objetives: seabed characterization, mapping of relief, and seafloor imaging.

    The Blanes area has been useful to determine the validity of the COSMOS system for sediment classification on a wide scale. The Barcelona area has been chosen to determine the capabilities of the COSMOS system for sediment classification on a detail scale i.e, where sediment variation occurs on subtle or gradual changes in textural types; in this area also pipeline and surficial seafloor morphologies caused by fishing activity and sewage deposits have been imaging. The Vilanova area has been specifically selected to test the capabilities of the COSMOS system due to the precise delimitation of the artificial reef and antisfishing structures.