WHAT IS HYDROGRAPHY

WHAT IS HYDROGRAPHY – NOAA Hydro Training 2009

WHAT IS HYDROGRAPHY


Hydrography is the science of measuring and depicting those parameters that are necessary to describe the precise nature and configuration of the sea-bed its geographical relationship to the landmass the characteristics and dynamics of the sea.

The parameters encompass bathymetry, geology, geophysics, tides, currents, waves, and certain other physical properties of sea water

Hydrographic surveying is the art of collecting hydrographic data utilizing a skillful blend of systems and field methodologies. Not something which can be learned in a classroom!

WHAT IS HYDROGRAPHY

(USM and UNB Intro to Hydrography, GGE1001)


Coastal hydrography is concerned with the development of ports and harbours, coastal erosion problems, the utilization of harbour and coastal conservation services and, especially, the safety of navigation in coastal waters. Off-shore hydrography is concerned with (a) the provision of hydrographic data as an extension of the coastal zone normally encompassing the continental shelf, (b) the development of mineral deposits, including hydrocarbons, and (c) provision of data for fisheries management.

Oceanic hydrography is concerned with the acquisition of hydrographic data in the deep ocean areas for the depiction of sea-floor geomorphology.

THREE ASPECTS



• Hydrography is the total set of spatial data and information, and the applied science of its acquisition, maintaining and processing, necessary to describe the topographical, physical and dynamical nature of the hydrosphere and its borders to the solid earth, and the associated facilities and structures.

• Task: data acquisition (but not just bathymetry)

• Purpose: distributing information (for informed decision making), rather than constructing products.

• Horst Hecht, Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency of Germany (Bundesamt für Seeschiffahrt und Hydrographie), May 2001:

2001 New Definition of Hydrography



Data acquisition

Sweep coverage

Echo sounding

Geophysical measurements

Water levelmeasurements

Shorecontrol

Coastlining

Positioning



Depth measurement types(USM and UNB Intro to Hydrography, GGE1001)

• Inspect (ROV, diver, camera)

• Sidescan • Magnetic

• TIBS

Anomaly detection / identification

(no depths)

Mechanical wire / bar

sweep

Sweep

x metr

es

clear

ance

Area • Acoustic “sweep” • Multibeam

• LIDAR

Vertical beam

sounder

Profile

Lead line

Point


NOAA Hydrographic FleetRAINIER Seattle, WA 1968 S/V BAY

HYDROGRAPHER Solomons, MD

THOMAS JEFFERSON Norfolk, VA (1992)

FAIRWEATHER Ketchikan, AK 1968, (2004)

NOAA’s Ocean Service

NRT’s – 6 teamsNationwide


• Ferdinand Hassler appointed first superintendent of the Survey of the Coast in 1816, when first survey work began. (First soundings were not collected until 1834!).

• During the Civil War, all CS resources used to support the war effort (earliest roots of NOAA Corps….commissioned officers needed to lead field parties because survey parties were attached to various Army and Navy commands. All Navy officers were used in the war effort, so officer status was given to civilians who were leading survey parties.).

A Brief History of NOAA Hydrography


• In 1917 (during WWI), the U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey commissioned officer corps was created as Army and Navy officers were used in the war effort.

• WWII: USC&GS used to survey South Pacific Islands in advance of Marine landings, etc (hostile fire).

• In 1966, USC&GS was assimilated into a new agency called ESSA, along with the National Weather Bureau.

• In 1970, ESSA was combined with the Bureau of Commercial Fisheries, Environmental Data Service, National Satellite Center, and Research Libraries, to create NOAA. USC&GS became the National Ocean Service.

• 1982: Office of Charting and Geodetic Services. 1991: U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey. 1994: Office of Coast Survey.

A Brief History of NOAA Hydrography


Bathymetry : “measure of the deep,” data provides depth contours of the bottom surface.

• “X,Y” = positioning data from Global Positioning System (GPS)

• “Z” = sounding data from echosounder. Measures depth of water by time it takes for sound to transmit and return to transducer.

• Time = data used to correct for water level (tide) at time of data collection

Features: data points, lines, and areas acquired to delineate natural and man-made charted features.

Hydrographic Data Types


Why Hydrography is Important


Nautical Charts

SAFE NAVIGATION

National Spatial

Reference System

Hydrographic Surveys

Research and Development

Models and New Technologies

Tides and Currents


NOAA’s Charting Responsibility


WHO IS RESPONSIBLE


Historical Perspective

• 98% by tonnage of all U.S. commerce• 45% by value (about $500 billion)• 50% is hazardous materials


Ships now are limited by height, draft, and width of channel.

Size of vessels


Bigger, Taller, Longer Ships


•The Nations ability to quickly respond to an intelligence report that a mine has been laid on the bottom of a major U.S. harbor is critical to the continuous flow of maritime commerce.•If a threat condition occurred, the Navy will use the survey data as a baseline of pre-existing objects so they can utilize their mine counter-measure assets more effectively to determine if a mine has been placed on the seafloor.

Homeland Security


– NOAA Hydrographic Ships and Navigation Response Teams have the specialized capability to collect high resolution imagery of shipping channels.

– The Oceanographer of the Navy requested NOAA to provide side scan sonar imagery of shipping channels and harbors to NAVO.

– NOAA collected data at 34 strategic commercial ports.

– NAVO collected data at 14 military ports.– NAVO to process and store data.

Klein 5000 Side Scan Sonar

Detailed Side Scan Sonar Imagery

Underwater Port Security


ENVIRONMENTAL RESPONSES


• Defined by apparent risk of incident due to:– Volume, density of traffic, and UKC in relation to bottom type– Age/adequacy of surveys– Petroleum or HAZMAT transport through region– Requests from maritime interests; i.e. USCG, Pilots’

Associations, Port Authorities, etc.

• Approximately 30,000 SNM critical area remaining nationwide

• NOAA, through ships and contractors, survey approximately 1300 - 1600 SNM/year with existing resources and funding levels

Critical Areas and Priorities


NOAA Hydrographic FleetRAINIER Seattle, WA (1968)

S/V BAY

HYDROGRAPHER

Solomons, MD

THOMAS JEFFERSON Norfolk, VA (1992)

FAIRWEATHER Ketchikan, AK 1968, (2004)


NRT’s – 6 teamsNationwide


Other Hydro-capable NOAA vessels


NANCY FOSTER

RONALD BROWN

OSCAR DYSON

HI’IALAKAI

GLORIA MICHELLE

HENRY BIGELOW


SIDE-SCAN SONAR


Shallow Water Multibeam

< TABLE>


Phase Differencing Bathymetric Sonar

Benthos C3DGeoSwath Klein 5410


Bottom Coverage & Vintage by Survey Method

Leadline Single Beam Multi Beam

Pre - 1940 1940 - 1998 1998 - Present


NOAA’s Navigation Services: Nautical Charting

• Annual Coast Pilot & Weekly Chart Updates

• 1000 Paper Charts and Raster Nautical Charts

• 998 Print-on-Demand

• 380 Electronic Navigational Charts (ENCs) posted on the web

• 6 Navigation Response Teams

•Additional teams planned


Electronic Navigation Charts

Navigation Response Teams

NOAA’s Navigation Services: Navigation Response Teams


• ENCs integrated with Coast Pilot data

• NRT coverage of the contiguous U.S.

• Addressing the survey backlog with new technologies: LIDAR, AUVs, high speed ship launches

• Quality Assurance Program

• Chart of the Future (UNH Joint Hydrographic Center)

• Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) for Shoreline/Remote Sensing

• Streamlining Data Pipeline (survey to chart in 3 mos.)



Critical to an MTS Capable of Supporting U.S. Economic

Growth

www.noaa.gov

NOAA’s Office of Coast Survey


Documents

WHAT IS HYDROGRAPHY