The
eSeahorse
The Hydrographic Society of America
A newsletter published quarterly by THSOA
Spring 2014
Volume I, Issue 4
From the President Special points of interest:
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THSOA Scholarship Recipients World Hydrography Day
Inside this issue:
Letter from the President
1
THSOA Scholarship Program
3
THSOA Chapter News
6
Coast Survey to improve magenta line
9
Best Practice for Topographic Lasers
11
World Hydrography Day 16 Educational Spotlight
THSOA – Introduction by Paul Cooper, President of THSOA
Introduction of new THSOA President
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ello, before I introduce myself, on behalf of all of our members, I want to thank Pat Sanders for the leadership he provided during the last two years and the success of US Hydro 2013 Conference. I consider Pat a life long friend and fellow Hydrographer. We first met when he joined the Naval Oceanographic Office and reported for duty to a project in Panama. I was the Party Chief then and this was one of his first field assignments - that was in 1976. That project was what we considered slick and lean at that time. It had its own boat with berthing for 5, a Navy cook, a van full of the latest computer and plotting gear and an equipment van. I am sure Pat saw that it could be better and HYPACK was born and the rest is history. As for me, I spent 35 years at NAVOCEANO where I served on NAVOCEANO hydrographic survey ships carrying out conventional and satellite geodetic surveying, small boat operations, and watch standing on board ships. Just as I was getting the hang of things there it was time to go. I retired as Director of the International Program where we worked on developing bilatPaul Cooper, THSOA President eral relationships with foreign surveying agencies for charting and safety of navigation. My career in hydrography has allowed me to work in over 60 countries around the world. After retirement I came to CARIS in Alexandria, VA where I am now. In addition to our business, I am involved with the Pan American Institute of Geography and History which is a specialized organization of the Organization of American States dedicated to mapping and charting in the Americas, among other things. I am also a board member of the Mid Atlantic Regional Association for Coastal Ocean Observing System (MARACOOS) which is one of the Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS) regional associations. I am finding that through IOOS activities there is a place where hydrography and oceanography have a very complementary relationship to develop. (Continued on page 2)
Volume I, Issue 4
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The Introduction
The Hydrographic Society of America 34-Years (1980-2014)
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(from page 1)
In the next two years I hope to increase THSOA education and academic outreach to enhance our profile within the academic community so that enough qualified sea surveying graduates are coming out of our education system. We have had some good starts on that with the scholarship program, poster sessions at US Hydro, the student outreach program where we mentor and support students for travel to US Hydro. I plan to increase those efforts. I also would like to increase our chapter organization to include formation of other chapters. We have had inquiries from members in Latin America who are meeting about their potential formation of a chapter for that region. We have decided on the date and place for US Hydro 2015 so please mark your calendar - 15 - 19 March 2015 at the Gaylord Hotel in National Harbor on the banks of the Potomac River 8 miles from the Nation’s Capital. We will be populating our conference page as we firm up the details of the conference. I am looking forward to working in the THSOA with all of you. Please feel free to make recommendations or suggestions that you think can improve what we are doing. â€
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has published its latest edition of EM 1110-2-1003, Hydrographic Surveying The manual is available for download at: http://www.publications.usace.army.mil/ USACEPublications/ EngineerManuals.aspx? udt_43544_param_page=4
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THSOA Scholarship Program from THSOA Press Release, 31 Jan 2014 (J. Oswald)
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HSOA encourages college/university students to consider a career in hydrographic surveying. Several student scholarships are offered to assist students with academic costs. The National THSOA scholarships are available to full time students seeking a 2 year, 4 year or graduate degree in Hydrographic Surveying, Ocean Mapping, Geomatics, Ocean Sciences, Geographic Info Systems (GIS), Ocean Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or other related fields. The national scholarship program started in 2011. There have now been 20 awards for $60,000 total over the past three school years. Awards made in December 2013 for the academic year 2013-2014: Robin Banner: $3,800 Senior, Geology, College of Charleston, Charleston, SC
Pictured: Robin Banner (left) scholarship recipient; Dr. Leslie R. Sautter (right). Robin is a senior at the University of Charlestown, Charlestown SC, and after her geology degree plans to pursue a PhD in Oceanography. Dr Sautter is Director, Project Oceanica and Associate Professor.
Kira Fargo: $3,200 Graduate Program, Hydrography, University of Southern Mississippi, Stennis, MS Samantha Whitehead: $3,200 Graduate Program, Hydrography, University of Southern Mississippi, Stennis, MS Pictured: Kira Fargo (left) grad student and scholarship recipient; Max van Norden (center) Director Hydrographic Science Graduate Program, University of Southern Mississippi (at Stennis Space Center), Department of Marine Science; Samantha Whitehead (right) grad student and scholarship recipient.
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The Program
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Kyle Olejnizak: $3,200 Graduate Program, Hydrography, California State University (Monterey Bay), Seaside, CA Pictured: Dr. Rikk Kvitek (left) Professor and Director of California State University -Monterey Bay, Seafloor Mapping Lab; Kyle Olejniczak (center) grad student and scholarship recipient, John Oswald (right), THSOA Scholarship Chair.
Other awards made in December 2013 for the academic year 2013-2014: Andrew Fontana: $3,800 Sophomore, Surveying Engineering, Ferris State University, Big Rapids, MI Dan Geoghagen: $3,800 Senior, Geomatics, Troy University, Troy, AL John Lutchko: $3,800 Sophomore, Freshwater Science and Technology, Northwestern Michigan College, Traverse City, MI Heather Nicholson: $3,800 Senior, Surveying Engineering, Penn State, Lebanon, PA Samantha Whitehead: $3,200 Graduate Program, Hydrography, University of Southern Mississippi, Stennis, MS Comments from this years’ awardees: Kyle Olejnizak: “Thank you so very much for this generous scholarship!” John Lutchko: “Thank you for selecting me as a recipient of this scholarship. I am honored and humbled by such a generous gift. It is exemplary organizations like yours that help to make my educational goals a reality.”
(Continued on page 5)
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The Program
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(from page 4)
Andrew Fontana: “Thank you so very much. This is surely an honor!” Kira Fargo: “Thank you so much for this opportunity! This scholarship will save me from taking out more student loans for this Hydrographic Science Masters program, so I thank you for that. This program has been very helpful in teaching me more about hydrography, and I recommend it to everyone I meet who shares similar interests. I am so glad to have chosen such an interesting career path.” Heather Nicholson: “Thanks to your generous support, I am able to continue on my journey. I am sincerely honored to be a recipient of The Hydrographic Society of America’s National Scholarship. I am a third-year, non-traditional student in the Surveying Engineering program at Penn State Wilkes-Barre. I am also the proud mother of a fourteen year-old daughter who aspires to follow in her mother's footsteps and become an engineer. I am an active member in both the Surveying Society and Lambda Sigma, the National Honor Society for Surveying Engineers. I have also been awarded a summer research position with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. I am planning on attending graduate school to earn my FIG Category A Hydrographic Surveying certification as well as my PhD in Geomatics Engineering. I would like to focus my research on the collection of data for the charting of coastal and near-shore areas in order to monitor environmental changes. I am drawn to a career whose focus is on providing a necessary piece of information in order to solve complex problems. The data that I would be responsible for collecting would be used to make informed decisions on a host of topics including environmental impact, coastal preservation and restoration, and safe navigation. It has taken a prodigious amount of hard work and many sleepless nights to arrive at the position I am in now. I have managed to juggle my school work and family obligations. I know that with a great deal of hard work and support, I can reach the goals I have set before me. Thank you for enabling me to continue on my travels toward my goal to be both a research scientist and educator.” THSOA encourages college/university students to consider a career in hydrographic surveying. Several student scholarships are offered to assist students with academic costs. National THSOA scholarships are available to for full time students seeking a 2 year, 4 year or graduate degree in Hydrographic Surveying, Ocean Mapping, Geomatics, Ocean Sciences, Geographic Info Systems(GIS), Ocean Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or other related field. At least five scholarships will be awarded this year. The National Scholarship announcement and application for the 2014-15 school year should be posted by mid April 2014. THSOA Houston Chapter awards two scholarship awarded each year. Applicants must be currently a resident in Texas or plan on attending a college in Texas. See http://houston.thsoa.org/student THSOA Louisiana Chapter awards two scholarships each year. Applicants must be currently a resident in Louisiana, Mississippi or Alabama or plan on attending a college in Louisiana, Mississippi or Alabama. Contact thsoa_lachapter@yahoo.com for further details.
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News from the Chapters 2014 Officers THSOA Louisiana Chapter Chairman: Eric Fisher C&C Technologies eric.fischer@cctech.us Treasurer: Byron LaBowe Hydroterra Techologies byron@hydroterratec.c om Secretary: Meghan Connell C&C Technologies meghan.connell@cctec h.us Technical Chair: AL Rougeau Al Rougeau Design & Development, Inc. al@ardd.biz Membership Drive/ Student Liaison: Brett Deshotels NEI GPS brett_deshotels@neigp s.com Fund Raising Chair: Kim Dailey Teledyne Odom Hydrographics kdailey@teledyne.com Tara Levy C&C Technologies tara.levy@cctech.us Webmaster: Robert Corkren ECF Consulting (contractor to Williams Midstream) rcokren@scfconsulting.com
Come join us for the Louisiana Chapter’s 3rd Annual Crawfish Boil on Wednesday April 23rd, 2014 at Pat’s Fisherman’s Wharf in Henderson. Our guest speaker will be Jerry Knisley, Technical Support Manager at HYPACK, Inc. Jerry will give a presentation on HYPACK® and HYSWEEP® SURVEY on the Beaches of Normandy! An amazing and heartbreaking presentation on D-Day! This will be an upcoming documentary on PBS Channel in April 2014. All proceeds from this event will go toward funding THSOALouisiana Chapter’s Student Scholarship Awards program. For platinum/gold/silver/bronze sponsorship opportunities or if you would like to donate a door prize please contact Kim Dailey @ kim.dailey@teledyne.com or Tara Levy @ tara.levy@cctechnol.com Event Information Location: Pat’s Fisherman’s Wharf 1008 Henderson Levee Rd Henderson, LA 70517-7862 337-228-7512 Date: Wednesday April 23rd, 2014 Time: Social: 6:00-6:30 p.m. Crawfish: 6:30-8:30 p.m. Guest Speaker Talk: 7:00-8:00 p.m. All you can eat crawfish and fixin’s for only $35. Payments: Prior to Day of Event by Check, Cash or Credit Card. We will of course accept the day of the event but would like to have folks pay prior. To attend this event, please R.S.V.P. by April 21st to kim.dailey@teledyne.com tara.levy@cctechnol.com thsoa_lachapter@yahoo.com
@hydrosurveying
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The Chapters
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Argentina Dove Hunt Auction Results The Louisiana Chapter held an auction (to support Student Scholarships) for a dove hunting trip to the finest dove hunting area in the world, Cordoba, Argentina. There are 50,000,000 doves in the Cordoba Valley and the birds never migrate. The accommodations are world class and the staff is the best in the business. Congratulations to Marvin Story of Teledyne Odom on winning this amazing opportunity, and thank you for being a contributor to our mission, as a society, to further the awareness of the professional opportunities in our field of work! Please feel free to takes lots of pictures and share your experience with us whenever you get down there. The trip includes 3 full days of hunting, all meals and lodging. B e i n g met at the Cordoba airport and enjoying a VIP reception (with drinks and Baggage handlers) after the long trip. Escort in a private van to the hunting lodge. The trip also includes English speaking guides, all ground transportation to and from the hunting areas, bird boys, gun cleaning and laundry service.
(Continued on page 8)
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The 2014 Officers THSOA Houston Chapter
Chapters
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Chairman: Aboud Abotouk Harvey Lynch Inc. abouda@harveylynch.com Vice Chair: Brian Brookshire NCS Subsea, Inc. brian.brookshire@ncssubsea.com
2013 - 2014 Academic Year Scholarship Winners
Technical Chair: TBD (This position is available
Congratulations to our 2013 - 2014 Academic Year scholarship winners who each received a scholarship check for $2,000.
Secretary: TBD (This position is available
Michael Anthony McKeever from Texas A & M University Corpus Christi Jacob Bradin Hopper from Texas A & M University Corpus Christi
Treasurer: Audi Monje - ABIP Audi@abipcpa.com Memberships / Student Liaison: Tim Basinger - Survey Equipment Services tim@ses-services.com Fundraising / Events Coordinator: Rusty Sommers NCS Subsea, Inc. Rusty.sommers@ncssubsea.com
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Coast Survey to improve “magenta line� on Intracoastal Waterway Nautical Charts
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he Office of Coast Survey announced today that future editions of nautical charts of the Intracoastal Waterway will be updated to include an improved "magenta line" that has historically aided navigation down the East Coast and around the Gulf Coast. Additionally, Coast Survey will change the magenta line's function, from the perceived "recommended route" established more than a hundred years ago, to an advisory directional guide that helps prevent boaters from going astray in the maze of channels that comprise the route. The decision comes on the heels of a year's investigation into problems with the magenta line. In early 2013, after receiving reports of groundings by boaters who followed the line into shoals, Coast Survey started to remove the magenta line from Intracoastal Waterway nautical charts. "We cannot deliberately include chart features that we know may pose a danger to navigation," explained Rear Admiral Gerd Glang, director of Coast Survey. "The problems of the magenta line's misplacement, which had been developing over the past seven decades, were aggravated when some boaters assumed that the line indicated a precise route through safe water - although it actually went over land, shoals, or obstructions." The U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey, a NOAA predecessor agency, first installed the line on nautical charts in 1912, when the advent of motor boating produced a demand for charts of the inland waters and shallower waters along the East Coast. The magenta line on Intracoastal Waterway charts received major updates in 1935, thanks to an influx of funding from the Great Depression's Public Works Administration. Charts rarely recorded updates of the magenta line in the ensuing 70 years. Boating public wants directional guidance In 2013, while Coast Survey cartographers were removing poorly placed lines from charts that were undergoing regularly scheduled updates, Glang ordered a cartographic review of the magenta line's function and maintenance. Simultaneous with an internal review of the issues, Glang issued a Federal Register Notice asking for public comments. Almost 240 individuals and organizations offered comments, saying that the line helped safe navigation on the Intracoastal Waterway. "We asked Intracoastal Waterway users to let us know if they need the route designated on nautical charts, and the response was 99.9 percent in favor of keeping it on charts," Glang said. "Many of the commenters explained how the magenta line saved them from dangerous or costly navigation errors. They also confirmed that we need to clear up any misunderstanding about what the magenta line is - and what it isn't." (Continued on page 10)
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The President Thomas Jefferson created the U.S. Coast Survey in 1807 to provide nautical charts that would help the young nation with safe shipping, national defense, and maritime boundaries. Two centuries later, Coast Survey – now an office within NOAA – continues to provide navigation products and services that ensure safe and efficient maritime commerce on America’s oceans and coastal waters, and in the Great Lakes. Innovative applications beyond navigation emerge as researchers harness evolving technologies. These advancements give Coast Survey tremendous opportunities to help the nation meet the challenges of the changing environment. Applying the newest advancements for survey and detection, data adds to our scientific knowledge of the coastal seafloor. With this knowledge, we can simulate sea level effects on coasts and ecosystems, identify sensitive marine habitats, select alternative energy sites, identify geological hazards, and predict the impact of environmental conditions on species and habitats.
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Magenta line (from page 9) The internal review and public comments confirm that the magenta line needs to be removed where it poses a danger to navigation, rebuilt to avoid shoals and other dangers, and reinstated to all the Intracoastal Waterway nautical charts. Importantly, Coast Survey will add notes to the Intracoastal Waterway charts, emphasizing that vessels transiting the waterway should be aware of changing conditions and always honor aids to navigation. Improvements will take years to fully implement "Today's decision to reinstate the magenta line is not a quick fix," cautions Captain Shep Smith, chief of Coast Survey's Marine Chart Division. "It will take at least three years to fix problems that were 70 years in the making." Of Coast Survey's 1052 nautical charts, 52 depict the magenta line. As charts are rotated through the update process, Coast Survey will evaluate and update the magenta line using charted information. When no depth soundings are on the chart, the line will generally be positioned in the centerline of dredged channels and natural waterways, avoiding shoals or obstructions less than the controlling depth. When the chart data is insufficient for determining the line's preferred route, Coast Survey will attempt to gather additional data from partner agencies and reliable crowdsourcing. "Most of the magenta line can be redrawn by using the charted information, and we hope to get it done by mid-2015," Smith explains. "On the other hand, resolving discrepancies between charted information and the line will require research, and new data acquisition and processing, with support from other federal agencies." Resolving chart discrepancies is a longer-term challenge, Smith says, and can conceivably take up to five years, or even longer. In cases where information is lacking and the line depiction can lead to risky navigation, Coast Survey will remove the line. †
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Best Practice for Topographic Lasers on Multibeam Vessels by Dave Maddock, HYPACK Inc.
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his December I escaped the frozen tundra of New England and spent a week in Australia with Marine GeoSolutions as they surveyed Lake Woronora. The lake was created by damming the Woronora River shortly before the start of World War II and is one of several reservoirs feeding the water supply of the Sydney area. It had never been surveyed with multibeam sonar before. The objective of the project is to build a two meter gridded dataset from which to calculate volumes. To extend the reach of the volume tables above the water line at the time of bathymetric survey, a simultaneous survey of the shoreline was also conducted using a topographic laser scanner mounted on the survey vessel.
Survey Vessel ABBSCEENE with MB and laser
This article will discuss best practices for integrating topographic devices into a multibeam survey vessel and lessons learned from the Woronora project.
Vessel Configuration The bathymetry data was collected with a Reson SeaBat 7101, a 240kHz multibeam sonar with a 150째 swath generating 511 beams. Real-time positioning and attitude was handled by an Applanix POS/MV, with all raw data logged for post-processing in POSPac. For above the water, a REIGL VZ-1000 laser was mounted MRU Sensor mounted above MB transducer directly above the sonar looking off the port side of the vessel. The laser is put into 2D line scanning mode during acquisition, returning an across-track "swath" with an expected range between 300 and 600 meters in vegetation-heavy environments. HYPACK/HYSWEEP was used for survey planning, simultaneous acquisition, and processing.
Line Planning There are two factors to consider when planning lines for a topographic survey: distance from the shoreline and the resolution required. REIGL VZ-1000 Laser Mount (Continued on page 12)
THSOA Your current officers and trustees are: President: Paul Cooper Secretary: Doug Lockhart Treasurer: Harold Orlinksy Trustee: RADM Chris Andreasen (ret) Trustee: Art Kleiner Trustee: Lou Nash Trustee: Castle “Gene” Parker
THSOA has two local Chapters: Houston Louisiana
Comments, ideas, criticisms, hate mail, letters to the editor, etc. regarding the eSeahorse can be directed to the Editor-in Chief at the e-mail below: Francis.M.Woodward@ usace.army.mil
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First, the angular range of the laser and its vertical offset determine the size of the blind spot close to the vessel and the maximum height that can be scanned. For instance, the RIEGL lasers have a typical vertical scanning range of 100° starting around 50° from nadir and going upward. If the laser is mounted ten meters above the water line, then the device has a twelve meter blind spot. This distance is the closest that the vessel can get to the shore before clipping data. Usually, this is much closer than desired and clipping the shoreline is not a concern, but rather the opposite problem: wasting a portion of the swath on scanning the water surface. If your planned lines are farther from shore than your calculated blind spot, then the starting angle can be adjusted to minimize the number of water surface returns. The maximum height visible at various ranges can be calculated from the same equation using the angle above horizontal as input. Second, the across-track and along-track resolution can be estimated from the technical specifications of the laser. Using the RIEGL as an example, this laser can scan up to 120 lines per second with 42,000 measurements per second in long-range mode and 125,000 in high-speed mode. The scan speed (or ping rate, using multibeam terms) affects the along-track resolution and limits the speed of the vessel during acquisition. At the fastest ping rate, this device returns at most 1041 measurements, or an angular stepwidth of ~0.1° given a full 100° swath. The laser specifications allow for much smaller stepwidths for better across-track resolution, but be aware that smaller stepwidths require a corresponding sacrifice in either ping rate, swath width, or both. Here is a table with estimated values at various settings to get an idea of how these options interact:
(Continued on page 13)
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The Best Practice
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From the table it is clear that as a general rule, stepwidth can safely be decreased even further to achieve better across-track resolution with an acceptable loss in along-track resolution. Keep in mind that the effective across-track resolution also varies with range and topography. The table assumes a target at fifty meters and a flat surface for comparison. In the case of the Lake Woronora survey, this is an embarrassment of riches as the project only required 2m resolution. Of course, much of the data is expected to be unwanted vegetation rather than ground returns so the resolution of the edited dataset will be courser. Nevertheless, the above estimation provides confidence that even if 75% of the acquired data is vegetation, the project requirements will still be achieved.
Patch Testing Topographic lasers also pose unique patch testing problems for hydrographic survey vessels. The typical pattern for patch testing sonars involves running reciprocal lines over a flat area and a slope. It is difficult to replicate this pattern from the water using features on the shore line. At HYPACK, we recommend running the laser patch test in a parking lot while the boat is still on the trailer. Four lines in a box pattern around a tall target such as a lamppost provide all the data necessary to run the same roll, pitch, and yaw patch test tools that are applied to multibeam sonars. The flat surface of the pavement is suitable for the roll test, while the positional Our patch test lines around the structure differences of the targeted light pole on each line allows for easy pitch and yaw testing. At Lake Woronora, a structure in the middle of the lake provided a tall target with access from all sides which allowed us to patch test from the water. While this proved to be a useful patch test, the method was not superior to the light pole approach. The primary limitation is that there are no flat surfaces sufficiently large for a quality roll test. The complex geometry of the target also confused the algorithms used for calculating error curves, limiting the effectiveness of the automatic patch testing features of the software. The structure used for patch testing (Continued on page 14)
THSOA Your current officers and trustees are:
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President: Paul Cooper
Best Practice
Secretary: Doug Lockhart
If the survey area contains such a feature, it certainly can be used as one data point among several, but should not be the sole patch test if at all possible.
Treasurer: Harold Orlinksy
Editing: Vegetation
Trustee: RADM Chris Andreasen (ret) Trustee: Art Kleiner Trustee: Lou Nash
(from page 13)
With the exception of the occasional return from the water surface or bird, topographic laser data requires very little editing for noise. However, if the intent of the survey is to model the ground only with other features such as vegetation, buildings, and the like removed, then editing can become a time-consuming process. Vegetation filters designed for use with topographic data are being investigated, but currently best practice for generating ground-only surfaces include a combination of manual editing and gridding, exporting the minimum depth per cell.
Trustee: Castle “Gene� Parker
THSOA has two local Chapters: Houston Louisiana
Comments,
Profile section of laser data showing vegetation and minimum surface in MBMAX-64
ideas, criticisms, hate mail, letters to the editor, etc. regarding the eSeahorse can be directed to the Editor-in Chief at the e-mail below: Francis.M.Woodward@ usace.army.mil
(Continued on page 15)
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Conclusion
Topographic lasers can be integrated onto multibeam survey vessels with relatively small modifications to best practices and tools well-tested in bathymetric acquisition and processing.
Line planning concerns for topographic survey are analogous to those in multibeam or sidescan surveys.
Patch testing procedure requires minimal modification to process laser data with existing bathymetric software tools.
Acquisition software can collect bathymetric and topographic data simultaneously, adding no significant additional survey time to the project.
Data processing time depends on the final product. Existing filter techniques can be used to remove most vegetation, but some manual editing/review of the data still needs to be done.
Topo laser data of dam face
Dave Maddock is a Senior Programmer for HYPACK, Inc.
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World Hydrography Day is June 21st World Hydrography Day, 21 June, was adopted by the International Hydrographic Organization as an annual celebration to publicize the work of hydrographers and the importance of hydrography, particularly in the promotion of safe navigation in international waters and ports, and the protection of marine reserves.
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orld Hydrography Day is 21 June 2014. We thought it would be a nice idea for you to share photos which capture some of the great situations that we get into on any hydrographic survey. Please send any photos that you would like to contribute to the WHD issue of eSeahorse. We will be happy to credit your work. Photos below are courtesy of Paul Cooper, President THSOA.
...Once upon a time in the days before GPS...
I have always liked this tide gauge installation. I am pretty sure that our man did not spend the entire survey operation as the tide station but he gets kudos for going above and beyond in this installation.
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Educational Spotlight by Nathan Keys, Measutronics Corporation
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s part of the THSOA Education Committee program, the eSeahorse
will feature a regular column in each edition in an effort to inform members of various educational programs available in hydrography and related fields. The goal of the Educational Spotlight is to identify and highlight academic programs across the United States whose graduates can successfully enter and thrive in the hydrographic sector workforce. For the first two installments, I included universities and schools that I am familiar with that have strong programs related to the marine field. All of these schools have turned out successful and prepared students for entry into both the public and private sector of the marine industry. I would now like to solicit the readership for input as to which other schools and/or programs are out there that deserve to be featured in this newsletter. The schools benefit from the publicity, the employers benefit by making an informed decision on which graduates to hire, and the students benefit from the job opportunities. If you know of a school in your region that fits the bill, please contact me about it and I will take care of the rest. Nathan_Keys@Measutronics.com Office: (863) 644-8712 Mobile: (863) 660-7689
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The Hydrographic Society of America Mailing Address: THSOA 56 Bradley St. Middletown, CT 06457 Fax: 860-635-1522 If you have any questions concerning a new membership or wish to change your existing membership, please e-mail us at members@thsoa.org If you are interested in joining the Hydrographic Society of America, please download the membership application at http://www.thsoa.org/pdf/
ABOUT THSOA Membership in THSOA is open to any individual or organization with an interest in surveying in hydrospace. No formal qualifications are required. THSOA celebrated its' 31-year presence in the United States on April 1, 2011. Our total membership now stands at 600+. The mission of THSOA is to promote education in hydrography. THSOA was incorporated in the State of Maryland (United States) as a non-profit organization in 1984 and was granted 501(c)(3) status as a non-profit organization by the U.S. Internal Revenue Service in 1985. Individual Members of THSOA are eligible for membership in local chapters, and receive a discount on registration at THSOA sponsored events as well as some international conferences. Local Chapters have been formed in Houston, Louisiana, and West Coast (Alaska, Washington, Oregon, and California). Members also receive Hydro International (HI) Magazine which is published six times a year plus a buyers guide. THSOA ensures that your address is current and takes care of the periodic process of BPA subscription certification. On odd numbered years THSOA hosts the U.S Hydrographic Conference which alternates with the Canadian Hydrographic Conference (held on even years). THSOA was the co-organizer, with NOAA's Office of Coast Survey of the original US Hydro Conferences which were held from 1984-1994. In 1999 THSOA organized the "reborn" US Hydro event. In recent years we have worked very hard to strengthen our already strong ties with the Canadian Hydrographic Association (CHA; See also Links and References). We now offer a reciprocal arrangement on Exhibiting and Registration fees for our respective annual conferences. THSOA Corporate Members receive the same benefits as Individual Members plus a hot link on the Corporate Member page. Corporate membership includes two Individual Memberships. For the biennial U.S. Hydro Conference they receive a discount on exhibit space and may register any three employees of the organization at the member rate. Only Corporate Members and Government Agencies may place Employment Opportunity advertisements (no charge). All memberships begin on entry and are renewed on January 1. Dues are not prorated. Persons joining after October 1 will receive the remainder of the present year plus all of the next. THSOA is staffed by volunteers; we have no paid staff.
Check out our newly designed website @ http://www.thsoa.org/new/
The deadline for submission articles for the Summer issue of eSeahorse is 20 June 2014