Summary

Description

Originally designed for military use, the multibeam echosounder has proved very useful for nautical charting, oceanographic research and modeling, habitat classification, maritime commerce, and recreational applications. The Multibeam Bathymetry Database at NCEI collects and archives multibeam data from the earliest commercial installations (circa 1980) through today's modern high-resolution collections. Data are acquired primarily from government and academic sources and consist of the raw (as collected) sonar data files. Datasets may also include processed or edited versions of the sonar data, ancillary data, derived products, and/or metadata for the data collection. The Multibeam Bathymetry Database provides data that span the globe and are discoverable and accesible via map interface or text-only search options.