Remote characterizing diffuse hydrothermal flows using multi-beam sonar

Abstract:

Multi-beam sonars are normally used for bottom bathymetry and backscatter intensity measurements, which provide a base for remotely characterizing the seabed. If not only sonar echo intensity (squared magnitude of acoustic pressure) but also the cross-correlation between successive echoes is measured, then temporal changes in sound speed in the near-bottom environment can be determined. This, in turn, allows estimation of the change of environmental parameters, e.g. temperature variations, as there is a simple linear relationship between sound speed and temperature changes. Stochastic modeling shows that the dependence of the echo decorrelation on the lag time has a relationship with the statistics of temperature variations above the seabed that determine their spatial and temporal scales, power spectra, and structure functions. This approach has been applied to quantify the bottom diffuse hydrothermal flow activity at the Main Endeavour Field on the Juan de Fuca Ridge using the Cabled Observatory Vent Imaging Sonar (COVIS) connected to the Ocean Network Canada’s NEPTUNE observatory. In contrast to our previous work, which was focused on spatial imaging of acoustic decorrelation at fixed lag, here the lag dependence of the acoustic structure function is measured and analyzed. This allows extraction of additional parameters of temperature fluctuation statistics. A potential to map diffuse flow using a ROV/HOV is discussed.