Bathymetric data or underwater topography are vital to marine commerce, industry, environmental management and monitoring. Bathymetry is traditionally charted via shipboard echo sounding or via airborne LADS (Laser Airborne Depth Sounding) and then interpolated into the DEM data sets.
Optical remote sensing methods for mapping bathymetry offer an alternative which can be more cost effective and efficient, especially over large areas of clear water bodies. Remote sensing techniques are non-invasive and particularly attractive for remote areas. Applications of sophisticated processing of satellite or airborne imagery in clear, shallow coastal zones allows for derivation of accurate underwater topography. Remote sensing products can serve as stand-alone information in inaccessible areas or can be used in combination with traditional in-situ data to generate a variety of information layers.
Satellite sensors: QuickBird, WorldView, IKONOS, MERIS