Texas A&M University
Department of Oceanography

Winter 1998 / Spring 1999 - Vol. 6, No. 3

Measuring the Depths

Side-scan sonar: Illustrations

 

Side-scan geometry

Sound that travels straight down to the seafloor takes less time to return to the towfish than sound that hits the seafloor at an angle. Assuming a flat seafloor, the time is proportional to the hypotenuse [s] of the right triangle formed by the sonar altitude [z] and the distance [x] of a parcel of seafloor from the point directly beneath the sonar.

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http://oceanography.tamu.edu/Quarterdeck/1998/3/sager-geometry.html
Copyright 1998-1999, Department of Oceanography, Texas A&M University.
Updated November 24, 1998. (abdw)

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