High-frequency acoustics seafloor scattering with emphasis on development of a new side-scan sonar

Seafloor reverberation data from two sites near Panama City, Florida, are used to study the statistics of backscattering and to test methods of sediment classification and seafloor spatial change detection. The surveys were conducted using a multifrequency towed sonar developed by the Naval Research Laboratory and complemented by surveys using a newly developed alternating dual-frequency, quantitative side-scan sonar. The technical characteristics of the side-scan sonar are described as a new tool for the study of high-frequency, high-resolution backscatter over wide areas. The multi-frequency scattering data are compared with the dual-frequency side-scan data.