Backscatter Processing

Seeking Contributors

This section is under development. If you have expertise in backscatter processing, please reach out to the admins at omcadmin@ccom.unh.edu to become a contributor today!

Overview

There is growing interest in seafloor backscatter information for a variety of purposes, from hazard detection through habitat mapping.

Backscatter data processing software

• Caris HIPS&SIPS
• QPS FMGT
• SonarScope - Matlab-based multibeam processing package from IFREMER
• Open BackScatter Toolchain (OpenBST) - open-source processing algorithms

Backscatter data QA/QC software

• Iskaffe - free and open-source app to help assess the quality of the seafloor backscatter data acquired by multibeam echosounders

Resources

Research and field operations are rapidly evolving to improve backscatter information and imagery. This section highlights some of the most recent and relevant resources for users.

Backscatter Working Group Guidelines and Recommendations

• GeoHab Backscatter Working Group (BSWG)
• BSWG Guidelines and Recommendations (May 2015)

Processing guides

1. Caris
2. QPS FMGT

Relevant articles/reports

• Multibeam sonar backscatter data processing (Schimel ACG, Beaudoin J, Parnum IM, Le Bas T, Schmidt V, Keith G, Ierodiaconou D. 2018)
• Methods for artifact identification and reduction in acoustic backscatter mosaicking (Masetti G, Calder BR, Hughes Clarke JE. 2017)