Big Data – The challenges of large-area bathymetric surveys

According to the IHO’s »Status Report on Hydrography and Mapping of the World’s Seas, Oceans and Coastal Waters« (IHO 2013) a large percentage of the world’s seas and oceans are still unsurveyed. Even areas covered by nautical charts need to be resurveyed since, in the absence of any other data, many of today’s charts contain significant amounts of information derived from non-systematic observations and survey data dating back up to 200 years (IHO 2013). The demand for hydrographic and bathymetric data for a broad range of offshore activities was never higher than it is today. Advances in multibeam echo sounder (MBES) and airborne LiDAR bathymetry (ALB) technology allow safe hydrographic and bathymetric survey of large areas at a speed and accuracy previously unknown. However, increasing sizes of survey areas and improving resolutions of survey systems come with larger data volumes and greater requirements related to management and operations. Big Data need to be managed.

Big Data | Blue Economy | large-area survey | data management | project management | tender | deliverables