Sub bottom profilers are used in geological studies to map the top layers of the seabed and provide quantitative seabed assessment, since properties of the first few metres of the seabed greatly influence the design and planning of offshore oil rigs and other seabed supported structures (Hutchins, McKeown & King, 1976).  

 

The Geoforce DTS® deep-tow, sub-bottom profiler has been deployed extensively to determine areas of interest for the hydrocarbon industry in the Arctic Ocean, the Scotian Shelf in Eastern Canada and Gulf of Mexico. Partner organizations include Natural Resources Canada and Nova Scotia and United States Geological Survey (USGS). 

 

For these types of assessments, the Geoforce DTS® Sparker acoustic source was deployed to acquire ultra high-resolution data in water depths from 900 m to 2600 m, up to Beaufort Sea State 4. 

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