Course

Magnetometer

Time limit: 90 days
1 credit
Instructor: Jim Naismith

$50 Enroll

Full course description

CONRAD BLUCHER INSTITUTE FOR SURVEYING AND SCIENCE

Hydrographic Surveying:

Marine Magnetometer Surveying

1.0 PDH Online & Asynchronous Self-Paced — 90 Days
1.0
PDH Credit
90
Days Access
80%
Passing Score
1
Module
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Course Overview

Before a dredge enters the water, someone has to find what's on the bottom. Marine magnetometer surveying is how it gets done — locating steel pipelines, ferrous debris, and submerged hazards that no other nearshore sensor can see. This one-hour CEU, taught by Jim Naismith RPLS, LSLS, walks through the full workflow: from how the instrument measures disturbances in the Earth's magnetic field, to how surveys are conducted and corrected for position, to how anomalies are identified and interpreted in the context of real Gulf Coast operations.

Content is drawn from decades of nearshore Texas hydrographic survey practice and covers the physical theory behind detection, the three main magnetometer types, survey operations and positional corrections, data processing and contour map interpretation, and applied case studies in pipeline hazard assessment, pre-dredge safety surveys, and cultural resource investigations.

This course is developed and delivered through the Conrad Blucher Institute for Surveying and Science at Texas A&M University — Corpus Christi.

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Learning Outcomes

By completing this course, participants will be able to:

1

Explain how a marine magnetometer detects ferrous objects by measuring disturbances in the Earth's background magnetic field, and identify the three main instrument types used in marine survey practice.

2

Describe the operational procedures for conducting a valid magnetometer survey, including towfish deployment, layback and sheave corrections, and diurnal variation correction using a base station.

3

Identify and interpret magnetic anomaly types — dipole, spike, dip, and linear features — and apply that knowledge to contact picking and contour map analysis.

4

Apply magnetometer survey results to real-world contexts including pre-dredge pipeline hazard assessment, RRC database cross-referencing, cultural resource surveys, and beneficial use site construction.

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Module Breakdown

MODULE 1

Marine Magnetometer Surveying

Theory & Instrument Types

  • What a magnetometer measures and how it works
  • Nanotesla, gamma, and the IHO detection range formula
  • Proton precession, optically pumped, and fluxgate instruments
  • Geometrics G-882 and SeaSPY in field practice

Survey Operations & Corrections

  • Passive system operation and towfish deployment
  • Layback correction via reciprocal lines
  • Sheave offset as a physically measured value
  • Diurnal variation and base station correction

Anomalies & Data Processing

  • Dipole, spike, dip, and linear feature signatures
  • Contact picking and contour map interpretation
  • High-pass filtering and smoothing in MagPick-GT
  • Color ramp setting and anomaly isolation

Applications

  • Pipeline location and RRC database cross-referencing
  • Pre-dredge hazard surveys and safety reporting
  • Cultural resource surveys
  • Beneficial use site and construction surveys

Assessment: Course Quiz  |  80% to pass  |  Unlimited attempts

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Target Audience

  • Registered Professional Land Surveyors (RPLS)
  • Licensed State Land Surveyors (LSLS)
  • Hydrographic and marine surveyors
  • Civil engineers involved in dredging or pipeline projects
  • Geospatial professionals expanding into marine survey work
  • Graduate students in geospatial science or coastal engineering
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Technical Requirements

  • High-speed internet connection
  • Modern web browser
  • Audio capability for video lectures
  • No software installation required
  • Optional: printer for supplementary materials
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Professional Benefits

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PDH/CEU credit applicable toward professional surveyor continuing education requirements

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Applied context drawn from real nearshore and coastal survey operations along the Texas Gulf Coast

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Foundational knowledge for pipeline hazard assessment, pre-dredge safety surveys, and cultural resource investigations

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Builds toward advanced hydrographic survey coursework in marine geophysics and subsurface data interpretation

Note: Participants are responsible for verifying acceptance of this course with their individual state licensing board. Course content is subject to updates at any time.

For registration assistance, contact Shelby Sharpe at shelby.sharpe@tamucc.edu

A Conrad Blucher Institute for Surveying and Science Professional Development Course ©