On the application of the Bayesian Search Method for detecting underwater objects

Underwater archaeology and, in particular the study of shipwrecked vessels, is one of the more advanced fields in the discipline as it employs a spectrum of technical and scientific methods. Shipwreck detection and identification has been a test ground for a range of theoretical and applied approaches, such as probability theory and mathematical statistics, namely the Bayesian Search Method, which has been successfully applied for this purpose in a number of renowned international projects. In this paper we shall cover the fundamental principles of using this method to assist search efforts in determining the location of historic underwater shipwrecks. As such, the novelty of this paper consists largely in acquainting the Russophone researcher with the Bayesian Search Method in submarine exploration as very little has been published on this subject in Russian literature. As will be shown here, there does exist a demand for the application and perfection of probability search methods for underwater archaeology in the country. In 2024, an expedition to the Yenisei Gulf discovered the shipwrecked steamer Tbilisi, which sank in 1943 after striking a mine installed by the Kriegsmarine. Despite having exact charts and knowing the exact coordinates of the shipwreck, the search team had to spend hours in high seas before finally managing to detect the vessel using side-scan sonar. Applying the Bayesian Search Method would have significantly reduced the time and labor intensity of the search. Besides the search method proper, we shall consider the arrangement of a specialized database for the architecture of a suggested software application, the purpose of which is building probability distribution maps to assist the search and identification of shipwrecked vessels.