Sub Bottom Profilers

Based on the CHIRP technology mastered in-house and on the transducers wide aperture, Echoes Series acquires seismic reflexion data providing very high-resolution images of the sediment layers from shallow to deep water without horizontal discontinuity. Thanks to its integration with Delph Seismic software, the acoustic imagery of the seafloor allows to acquire, process and interpretate geological features, such as sedimentary architecture & detection of buried objects whatever the seabed topography.

Exail know-how in sub-bottom profiling is built from a custom piezo-electric transducer design activity in the 150Hz to 400Hz range. These high-power and wide bandwidth devices were especially suited for the development of a complete range of controlled pulse sub-bottom profiler projectors.

Enhanced by in-house designed low distortion and high efficiency power amplifiers, all components are manufactured internally while many other manufacturers integrate off-the-shelf components.

This mastering of the acquisition chain ensures that the acoustic signal transmitted is very close to the theoretical CHIRP waveform, ensuring the highest degree of resolution and quality resulting from the signal processing.

Signal transmission remains at maximum power over the entire announced bandwidth:

Buried objects

High-resolution seismic profiles derived from Echoes measurements can show individual and parabolic structures that can be attributed to individual reflective objects, such as decimetric rocks or pipelines. This performance is due to Exail’s unique internal skills in the design of efficient CHIRP technology with large transducer beams (around 20°) that result in an impressive signal continuity and the identification of buried objects. This key performance brings new insights for 3D mapping of individual boulder clearance for shallow marine environment (< 150 m).

Seismic reflexion data highlights the presence of gas in sediments by a critical decrease of acoustic velocity generating blanking in seismic profiles. In recent studies in volcanic environments, Exail Echoes Series of sub-bottom profilers showed clear relations between locations of degassing and lake bottom morphologies, such as pockmarks and faults, providing information on how these morphologies influence volcanic degassing.

Versatile, Exail Sub bottom profilers can be simply roped, pole-mounted or integrated on USV or AUV and easily operated using Delph Geo Acquisition software.  Thanks to a rigorous industrialization process, all needs for efficient mobilization from vessels of opportunity to large research vessels are covered.

The Echoes Series covers a wide range of applications, from shallow to deep water:

• Seafloor mapping,
• Oceanographic survey,
• Industrial survey,
• Geotechnical survey,
• Geo-archaeology,
• Sedimentology,
• Paleoenvironments
• Deep ocean operations.

Exail has also developed an open software suite for acquiring, processing and mapping all kinds of hydrographic and geophysical data. The Delph Geo Software Suite naturally makes the best from the Echoes sub-bottom profiler’s data with possible improvement on the chirp processing and complete 3D geo-referencing of survey data both in real-time and offline.

More info about Delph Geo

Marine/lacustrine geosciences – Paleoclimate

• High-resolution seismic reflection profiles
• Operable from shallow to deep waters
• Sedimentary dynamics related to:
  • Hydrological variability
  • Geo-hazard
  • Flood
  • Earthquake
  • Tsunami
  • Erosion

Archeology and Geo-archeology

• Identify artefact buried in sediments
• Designed for shallow waters
• High-resolution seismic reflection profiles for:
  • Submerged prehistoric archaelogy
  • Estimation of site volume
  • Post-excavation interpretation
  • Sedimentary processes

Pre & post dredging

• High resolution seismic reflection profiles
• Operable from shallow to deep waters
• Stability and distribution of sediments
• Nature and volume of sediments to be dredged
• Estimation of consistency and strength of sediments using Delph software

Offshore energy

• From shallow to full ocean depth water
• Nature and structure of the first 300 meters of sediments
• High-resolution seismic reflection profiles for:
  • Marine platforms implantation
  • Route/boulder clearance
  • Pockmark detection
  • Seabed roughness
  • Bedrock depth
  • Geo-acoustic inversion modeling