Course

Hydrographic Surveying: Sub-bottom Profiler

Time limit: 90 days
1 credit
Instructor: Jim Naismith

$50 Enroll

Full course description

CONRAD BLUCHER INSTITUTE FOR SURVEYING AND SCIENCE

Hydrographic Surveying:

Sub-bottom Profiling

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

Course Overview

Look beneath the seabed. Sub-bottom profiling is sonar's most complex and revealing tool — used to locate buried pipelines, map ancient landscapes, assess geological hazards, and identify offshore sand and mineral resources. Unlike bathymetry or side-scan sonar, sub-bottom profiling requires more complex processing and interpretation, making it one of the more skill-intensive tools in the hydrographic surveyor's toolkit.

This course introduces the fundamentals of sub-bottom profiling — from understanding what the technology does and why it is used, to the different profiler types, field positioning corrections, and key applied survey tasks. Content is drawn from real-world coastal survey practice and developed in partnership with the Conrad Blucher Institute for Surveying and Science.

Learners will explore profiler types and frequency trade-offs, towfish positioning geometry, pipeline location and depth-of-cover assessment, buried landscape mapping, and offshore sand sourcing — grounded throughout in professional field context and real survey decision-making.

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Learning Outcomes

By completing this course, participants will be able to:

1

Identify the major applications of sub-bottom profiling in hydrographic and geospatial survey practice, including geological hazard surveys, pipeline inspection, environmental investigation, marine archaeology, and offshore mining.

2

Distinguish between sub-bottom profiler types — Boomer, Sparker, Chirp, Pinger, and Parametric — and explain how frequency affects penetration depth and resolution.

3

Explain towfish positioning geometry, including layback correction via reciprocal lines and sheave offset as a measured value, and describe how each correction is applied in processing software.

4

Describe how sub-bottom profiling is used to locate buried pipelines and assess depth of cover, including its limitations in disturbed seafloor conditions and the need for independent verification methods.

5

Explain how acoustic reflectors and horizons are used to build a subsurface model of a buried landscape, including integration with borehole and core data.

6

Describe how sub-bottom profiling supports offshore sand volume estimation and critical mineral sourcing, including use of the TX-SED database and bore log correlation.

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Module Breakdown

MODULE 1

Introduction to Sub-bottom Profiling

Applications & Profiler Types

  • Professional use cases: pipelines, archaeology, hazard surveys, mining
  • Boomer, Sparker, Chirp, Pinger, and Parametric systems
  • Frequency ranges and penetration vs. resolution trade-offs

Towing, Layback & Sheave Offset

  • Towfish positioning geometry
  • Layback correction via reciprocal lines
  • Sheave offset as a measured value
  • Applying corrections in processing software

Pipeline Location & Safety

  • SBP effectiveness in undisturbed vs. disturbed seafloor
  • Independent verification: probing, EM, smart pig, RRC database
  • NTSB case study: fatal dredging pipeline rupture
  • Surveyor's role in the pipeline location workflow

Buried Landscapes & Sand Sourcing

  • Acoustic reflectors and horizons; building a subsurface model
  • Integration with borehole and core data
  • Offshore sand volume estimation; TX-SED database
  • Heavy mineral sands and emerging applications

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

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Target Audience

  • Registered Professional Land Surveyors (RPLS)
  • Licensed State Land Surveyors (LSLS)
  • Geospatial professionals expanding into marine survey work
  • Civil engineers involved in dredging or pipeline projects
  • 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

📜

PDH/CEU credit applicable toward professional surveyor continuing education requirements

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Applied context drawn from real coastal and offshore survey operations, including pipeline safety case studies

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Foundational knowledge for subsurface mapping, buried infrastructure assessment, and offshore resource evaluation

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Builds toward advanced hydrographic survey coursework in sub-bottom interpretation and data processing

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 ©