Scanning Parametric Sediment Echosounder as Tool for Underwater Archaeological Prospection

ABSTRACT Underwater cultural heritage 3D prospection techniques, especially for remains that are partly buried in the ground, are only very rarely available and often can only be applied with considerable technical effort. To overcome this limitation, we evaluate a methodological adaption of widely used and available single channel parametric sediment echosounder systems. We apply electronical beam steering on a parametric sediment echosounder. Using seismic postprocessing, we highlight its capability of 3D sub‐bottom imaging and heritage investigation and provide guidelines for data acquisition, feasibility and effectiveness. The approach is tested at a wreck in the Western Baltic Sea that is partly buried in the seafloor. The wreck and individual wreckage features are imaged on a submeter scale resolution. The data also reveal subtle morphological features such as surrounding scours as well as the stratigraphy of the shallow sediments. The new methodological approach successfully generates data that can be interpreted in 3D and acquired in a reasonable time (2 ha in less than 2 h), using widely available parametric echosounder systems. This makes it a powerful tool to explore and monitor underwater cultural heritage sites many of which are increasingly endangered due to rising demands for marine resources and environmental changes.