Capabilities

TerraSond's highly skilled and trained professionals have the ability to plan for and execute hydrographic, geophysical and land surveys that range from the very simple to the very complex. Data is collected and measurements are taken from both onshore and offshore and in waters ranging from shallow coastal to deep ocean. Using industry standard state-of-the-art equipment, TerraSond collects, processes, and stores a vast amount of oceanographic and hydrographic data.

Hydrographic Surveys

TerraSond uses modern surveying equipment and software to precisely chart underwater topography. Hydrographic data is collected using multibeam, single beam, and side scan sonar systems under strict rules for evaluating and positioning the data.

After the data is collected, it is cleaned and error corrected for bad soundings and the effects of tides, waves/heave, and water-level. The verified data is used to create final drawings that are supplied to the client in a combination of specialty charting software or a CADD package, usually AutoCAD.

All of TerraSond's hydrographic survey projects are directed by an American Congress on Surveying and Mapping (ACSM) Certified Hydrographer.

Beach Erosion Surveys Beach erosion surveys often require profiling above and below the water. They are repeated at varying intervals to determine the erosion level and determine where the sand is transported due to typical ocean processes and storm activity. The uplands or above water portion can determine if the level or position …
Benthic Habitat Mapping Using sonar to quantitatively characterize the seafloor is a relatively new use of multibeam and sidescan technology. It involves the careful collection of sonar imagery and the processing of the imagery with a seabed classification software to accoustically characterize the return signal. We have collected multibe…
Breakwater Surveys Offshore breakwaters are designed to absorb the energy of waves and reduce the intensity of wave action in inshore waters. However, large storms can cause waves to overtop the breakwater and cause sediment transport and erosion. TerraSond is often called upon to conduct topographic and bathymetric surveys of breakwat…
Current Analysis The ocean is constantly moving and how the water moves can influence climate and living conditions for plants and animals. The movement of the ocean also has an effect on the stability and longevity of man made items and understanding these currents can lead to better engineering solutions. Increasingly TerraSond is …
Dredging Pay Quantity Surveys We have significant experience monitoring dredging operations in river and harbor navigation projects. Our skilled hydrographers routinely perform project condition, pre dredge surveys, interim dredge surveys and final clearance and acceptance surveys as well as provide volume computations and final as-built survey dr…
Emergency Call-out Surveys Our surveyors conduct emergency Call-out surveys after hurricanes, storms, and incidents including collissions and lost cargo. These surveys are accomplished with side scan and single beam sonar systems to identify and report locations of objects and debris in channels and coastal waters. Recently our staff worked…
Engineering Design Surveys Solid information is the foundation of good engineering design. We can provide support that incorporates land, hydrographic and geophysical surveys. Our surveyors can work closely with your engineers and planners to design a data collection program that will get the information required and produce the GIS and CAD wor…
Floodplain Mapping We have provided the land, hydrographic and LiDAR surveys for updating flood plain maps. We were responsible for meeting FEMA and USACE specifications on the survey and managing the control survey, LiDAR mapping, river cross sections, Quality Assurance Data, Hydrographic Data and the processing and map creation. Data…
Harbor and Channel Condition Surveys Since 1994, TerraSond has consistently met the needs of government, public and private sectors by providing numerous surveys of critical channel navigation points, and surveys in support of engineering and construction projects for ports and harbors. Project condition surveys for harbors and channels are conducted t…
Levee Surveys Levees are subject to and can be compromised by fluctuating water levels, invasive vegetation, and burrowing animals. We have surveyed levees with both multibeam and sidescan sonar. Since our last levee surveys we have acquired a scanning laser for providing a complete view of the water side of the levee.
Marine Route Surveys Marine Route Surveys are necessary for choosing the safest and most efficient route for a cable or pipeline project. In addition to conducting these hydrographic surveys, TerraSond works closely with the engineer and investigates all available sources of information along the marine route. Investigations include navi…
Multibeam Sonar Surveys Multibeam systems can provide complete coverage of the seafloor. Single beam sonar systems only return a sounding directly under the survey vessel resulting in a lack of coverage between survey lines. Multibeam systems can bridge these gaps by using a system that collects a swath of data that reaches both port an…
Nautical Charting TerraSond collects hydrographic survey data to produce official nautical charts. These charts, depending on their scale show seabed features, navigational hazards, harbors and bridges, tides and currents, coastline, and navigational hazards. We have the tools to plan, collect, process and then format either in hard …
Port and Harbor Surveys TerraSond has provided hydrographic and topographic surveying and mapping services for port and harbor projects since 1994. We can provide surveys to support engineering design, assess the condition, or support dredging and construction. We can and have responded quickly in case of emergencies and are adept at mobi…
River Discharge Measurements We have provided clients with river discharge measurements to determine navigability of a river, to study flood conditions, and to support harvesting renewable energy. This data is usually collected with Acoustic Dopper Current Profilers (ADCP) which measure the speed and direction of the flows within the river. Th…
ROV Surveys Our highly skilled technicians mount multibeam sonar systems on Remotely Operated Vechicles (ROVs) for offshore oil and gas operations, science studies, and mining operations. These systems allow precision ocean mapping for depths in excess of 6,000 feet. Using a mounted multibeam sonar system allows the ROV to nav…
Search, Recovery and Salvage Support Search and Recovery operations are often a joint effort involving multiple entities working together to achieve a safe and successful outcome. TerraSond's goal is to assist the search and recovery effort by mapping the seafloor. We have provided support for salvage of grounded and sunken vessels as well as lost fix…
Seismic Exploration Support We have provided both positioning and charting for seismic activities. Positioning vessels towing cables or the gun boats and also surveying critically shallow areas to allow for safe planning and navigation into them.
Side Scan Sonar Surveys Side scan is useful for mapping, search activities, engineering corridors and also for habitat mapping. It can provide wider coverage in each pass than multibeam sonar and can often discern smaller objects. TerraSond has used side scan for numerous projects and owns a large number of highly accurate and efficient s…
Single Beam Sonar Surveys Single beam sonar is the simplest of depth measurement systems we use. It is also the most portable, least expensive and often the best choice for surveys. We maintain a huge inventory of depth sounders and transducers. Many of the transducers are built into the hulls of our vessels or kept for spares and vessels…
Tidal Studies One of the most important correctors for hydrographic data is tide and water levels. TerraSond installs and operates tide stations during remote survey operations to measure tide and water level. Data from the stations can be recorded locally or transmitted over telemetry or a NOAA GOES (Geostationary Operational Envi…
Underwater Search We are able to efficiently locate and pinpoint objects on the sea floor with multibeam, sidescan and magnetometers and can quickly mobilize to any location to search for lost equipment, missing aircraft, and sunken vessels.
Volume Computations Our surveyors are experienced at estimating excavation pit volumes and dredge volumes using both linear and nonlinear survey methods. Data can be obtained through land or hydrographic surveying and is often a combination of the two. Calculating these volumes are important for many engineering and construction project…