NOAA/UNH Joint Hydrographic Center

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NOAA/UNH Joint Hydrographic Center

• Education and Research at the University of New
  Hampshire

www.ccom.unh.edu
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Joint Hydrographic Center

• Directed by Congress
• Created by NOAA/UNH MOU June 1999
• Funded annually through a cooperative agreement
  grant

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Complementary Centers

• NOAA/UNH Joint Hydrographic Center (JHC)
• A Government and University Organization
• UNH Center for Coastal and Ocean Mapping (C-COM)
• Provides for participation of other government
  agencies and private sector
• NSF, ONR, NRL, DARPA, USGS, GEBCO
• Industrial Consortium

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Center Goals

• To be a world leader in the development of
  hydrographic ocean mapping technologies and
  approaches
• To expand the scope and applications of ocean
  mapping
• To educate a new generation of hydrographers and
  ocean mappers that can meet the growing needs of
  both government agencies and the private sector.

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Who are we?

• 9 Faculty7 UNH and 2NOAA
• 12 Research Scientists10 UNH and 2 NOAA
• 13 Graduate Studentsincluding 3 NOAA
• 4 Admin/Technical Support Staff
• Visiting Scholar Program
• Denmark, Sweden, Germany (2), Australia,
  Scotland, Israel, and Texas

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Industry Partners
Sonar manufacturers
Survey Companies
Cable and pipelines
Mapping and processing software
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Educational Programs

• M.Sc. and Ph.D.
• Two tracks
• Ocean Engineering
• Earth Sciences/Oceanography/Natural Resources
• Thesis or Non-thesis M.S. options available
• Graduate Certificate Program
• Non-Degree Programs
• Undergraduate Courses
• Short Courses and Seminars
• FIG/IHO CAT A Certification May 2001

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Adjoining Facilities

• Electronics Lab
• Machine shop
• Acoustic Test Tank
• Tow and wave tank
• Recirculating Flume Tank

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RV Coastal Surveyor
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Research Themes

• Sonar System Capabilities and Limitations
• New approaches to multibeam sonar data processing
• Data Visualization and Management
• New Applications of Seafloor Mapping Technology
  and Data
• Remote Seafloor Characterization
• Fisheries Habitat
• ????????

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Special Research Projects

• Law of the SeaArticle 76
• Electronic Chart of the Future
• Advanced RTK GPS

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Research Themes
Sonar System Capabilities and Limitations
Push the limits of resolution (all sorts),
coverage, and information content
Depth measurements from side scan sonars Wide
area side scan for habitat mapping Water column
information from multibeam sonars
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Research Themes
New Approaches to Multibeam Sonar Data Processing
An example to consider

• The Request Develop techniques to speed up the
  cleaning of multibeam sonar soundings

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First, find the right question

• Whats really the problem?
• Whats taking the time?
• What does the end user really need?

What is it that we really need to solve our
problem?
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Automated Multibeam Sonar Processing

• CUBE
• Combined Uncertainty and Bathymetric Estimator
• Creates a high resolution digital elevation model
  rather than a (huge) bunch of individual
  soundings
• Being incorporated into leading hydrographic
  software products

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Valdez Survey Data
A CUBE vs. Traditional Method Trial

• 5 days
• Two launches with different multibeam systems
• 22,227,491 Soundings

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Valdez Narrows, AK
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Total Time Comparison
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Research Themes
Data Visualization and Management

• The Navigation Surface
• Archiving a digital elevation model rather than a
  shoal-biased set of soundings
• Lets us generalize the products, not our original
  survey data

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This has been our archive product
Snow Passage Depth Plot H10949
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This will be our archived product
Data NOAA Ship RAINIER
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Article 76 Bathymetric Study

• Identify areas of potential claim
• Identify existing data pertinent to LOS
• Define areas of potential claim where existing
  data is insufficient
• Determine survey requirements and costs to fill
  in data gaps

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Research Project
Electronic Chart of the Future

• Next Generation improvements
• What improved capabillity can be implemented in
  todays electronic charting technology
• Revolutionary changes
• What should an electronic chart look like
• Unconstrained by existing ECDIS and ENC
  standards, formats, and conventions

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Challenges
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Challenges
Help us find the right question to ask.