Scattering objects imaging using an autonomous underwater vehicle towing a source and an horizontal array

Recently, seabed sound-speed profile measurement by the image source method had been performed using an Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) towing a broadband source (frequency band from 1600 to 3500 Hz) and a linear array of hydrophones. This method provides an automatic process by the use of the semblance function. In that communication, the semblance ability to detect coherent reflections is used to image scattering objects such as mud volcanoes by integrating the results of successive measurement along the AUV track. Due to the horizontal array configuration, there is an ambiguity on the scatterers localization that could be solved by the use of hydrophone triplets.