Sonar technology was developed in the 1920s and significantly improved seafloor mapping. Sonar systems emit a sound and then record the time it takes to receive an echo off the seafloor.

SONAR, short for SOund NAvigation and Ranging, is a tool that uses sound waves to explore the ocean. Scientists primarily use sonar to develop nautical charts, locate underwater hazards to navigation, search for and identify objects in the water column and on the seafloor such as shipwrecks, and map the seafloor itself.

Oct 20, 2024 · Sonar has been instrumental in mapping the ocean floor, giving scientists and researchers a better understanding of the underwater landscape. Multibeam sonar systems can produce detailed, 3D maps of the seabed, which are used in oceanography, environmental studies, and underwater construction.

Jun 16, 2024 · NOAA scientists primarily use sonar to develop nautical charts, locate underwater hazards to navigation, search for and map objects on the sea floor such as shipwrecks, and map the sea floor itself. There are two types of sonar—active and passive.

Multibeam sonar is a type of active sonar system used to map the seafloor and detect objects in the water column or along the seafloor. The multiple physical sensors of the sonar – called a transducer array – send and receive sound pulses that map the seafloor or detect other objects.

Dec 2, 2024 · Ships with large sonar arrays mounted on their hull map the deep ocean by emitting low-frequency sound waves that bounce off the seafloor and return as echoes to the surface.

Mar 19, 2025 · Ships outfitted with sonar instruments can make direct, incredibly detailed measurements of the ocean floor. But to date, only about 25% of it has been surveyed in this way. To produce a global picture of the seafloor, researchers have relied on satellite data.

Mar 31, 2025 · Underwater mountains called seamounts and other ocean floor features like their smaller cousins, abyssal hills, influence the movement of heat and nutrients in the deep sea and can attract life. Ships outfitted with sonar instruments can make direct, incredibly detailed measurements of the ocean floor.

Jun 17, 2024 · Yes, scientists primarily use sonar to study the ocean floor. Sonar allows them to develop nautical charts, identify underwater hazards and objects like shipwrecks, and map the seafloor itself.

By conducting a multibeam sonar survey similar to a medical ultrasound, scientists are able to image the sea-bottom. Bathymetric data can be applied in several ways, from water transportation or biological oceanography to the study of climate change.