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.

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

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.

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.

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

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.

MODULE 1

Introduction to Sub-bottom Profiling

• Professional use cases (pipelines, archaeology, hazard surveys, mining) and profiler types: Boomer, Sparker, Chirp, Pinger, Parametric
• Frequency ranges and penetration vs. resolution trade-offs
• Towfish positioning geometry; layback correction via reciprocal lines & sheave offset as a measured value
• Applying corrections in processing software
• Pipeline location & depth-of-cover assessment; SBP effectiveness in undisturbed vs. disturbed seafloor
• Independent verification (probing, EM, smart pig, RRC database) & the NTSB pipeline-rupture case study
• Acoustic reflectors and horizons for buried landscape mapping, offshore sand volume estimation (TX-SED database), and heavy mineral sands