Shallow Water Bottom Characteristics Measurement Sensors

"Shallow Water Bottom Characteristics Measurement Sensors (SWBCMS)has completed a successful Phase I SBIR and is ready for PhaseII. The proposed plan for Phase II is to validate the SWBCMS nearbottom sensor design via modeling in a variety of shallow waterenvironments utilizing HEP data. In addition, a sea test will beconducted to validate that the system can differentiate betweenclosely spaced direct and bottom bounce arrival with near bottomsensors. Bottom-loss versus angle will be measured with nearbottom sensors. Low source level safer sources will be developedand utilized in the sea test to validate that bottom-loss versusangle can be measured with the 185 (dB//mPa2 energy source levelin an octave band) as predicted during Phase I.BENEFITS: This proposed device will satisfy a critical need for a rapid response environmental measurement system to acquire data and in-situ measurements for accurate on site tactical decision aids, nowcastactive sonar predictions and buoy deployment geometry optimization, and perform this task in a more environmentally friendly manner with very small and possibly non-impulsive sources. This will allow almost unrestricted measurement of bottom properties viaaircraft."