Automated lateral control of seismic streamers

In the field of marine geophysical surveying, systems and methods for controlling the spatial distribution or orientation of a geophysical sensor streamer or an array of geophysical sensor streamers towed behind a survey vessel are provided. Various techniques for changing the spatial distribution or orientation of such geophysical sensor streamers in response to changing conditions are provided. For example, crosscurrent conditions may be determined based on configuration data received from positioning devices along the length of a streamer, and a new desired orientation for the streamer may be determined based on the crosscurrent conditions. The new desired orientation may include a new desired feather angle for the streamer. Tow streamer Receive crosscurrent information Determine desired streamer orientation Determine 1041 Adjust streamer orientation Adut 106 1-J Tow streamer at initial feather angle Receive force information Automatically determine new streamer feather angle Automatically adjust streamer