HGIS: Hydrographic Surveys

Coastal Zone Management

December, 2001

Hydrographic Surveys
Representative Assignments

Project Location Client Description

Arctic Shallow Water Bathymetry Canadian Arctic Canadian Hydrographic Service
Central Region Application of airphoto interpretation procedures to shallow water mapping in the Canadian Arctic. Evaluation of existing colour and black and white aerial photos and LANDSAT imagery to determine water depth penetration and suitability for mapping. Development of objectives for a test project, selection of test area, and preparation of specifications and supervision of aerial photography for test area were the major outputs of the projects.

Fixed-Base Aerial Photo Bathymetry Bruce Peninsula Lake Huron Ontario Canadian Hydrographic Service
Central Region Development of simultaneous fixed based aerial photography methodologies for shallow water mapping. Project involved the use of two metric 70 mm Hasselblad cameras in a camera boom mounted on a helicopter. A microwave positioning system was integrated with the photo system to provide horizontal positioning of photo centres. Software was developed for a Zeiss G2 Stereocord and an analytical plotting system for automated analysis and plotting of refraction corrected depth measurements and other hydrographic data.

Sable Island Survey Sable Island
Nova Scotia Canadian Hydrographic Service
Atlantic Region Preparation of specifications for sequential aerial photography mission and their interpretation for Sable Island and adjacent shoal waters. Application of large scale simultaneous photo sampling system in combination with microwave positioning system and a ship supported helicopter platform for establishing offshore photogrammetric control and positioning of shoals. Preparation of shallow water field sheets charts to 10 m contour.

Ice Pressure Ridges Parry Sound Ontario Canada Centre for Inland Waters Acquisition of simultaneous large scale photographs over ice pressure ridges and measurement of ridge heights utilizing analytical photogrammetric techniques. Microwave positioning system was used for horizontal positioning of photo centres.

Photo Bathymetry Simpson Strait Northwest Territories Canadian Hydrographic Service
Central Region Airphoto interpretation of black and white aerial photos for shoreline, foreshore shallow water bathymetry, hazards to navigation and other features published on nautical charts for Arctic straits. Ground surveys, including benthic sampling, soundings and horizontal control surveys.

Shallow Water Bathymetry Bruce Peninsula Ontario Canadian Hydrographic Service
Central Region Identification and mapping of shoreline, shallow water contours, and navigational hazards using airphoto interpretation. Hydrographic soundings and SCUBA diving observations provided ground truthing data. Rectified photo mosaics were produced as base plots with overlays showing horizontal control, chart datum, high water line, and 1, 2 and 4 m depth contours.

Aerial Photo Bathymetry North Channel Georgian Bay Ontario Canadian Hydrographic Service
Central Region Research into the application of airphoto interpretation to shallow water bathymetric mapping. Preparation of specifications for aerial photography, horizontal control and base mapping. Ground truthing and preparation of shoreline plots as part of a Canadian Hydrographic Service operational survey in Great Lakes waters.

Barbados Coastal Conservation Study Barbados
West Indies Government of Barbados Hydrographic sounding and sub-bottom profiling surveys for the West Coast of Barbados to the 100 m depth contour. Tracking and positioning range/bearing using infrared electronic distance measurements and theodolite directions. Reduction of sounding data to produce a 1:5,000 scale substrate map.

Conversion of Charts Great Lakes Canadian Hydrographic Service
Central Region Conversion of charts on "unknown datum" to various "standard datum" coordinate references, including NAD27 and NAD83. These conversions included the use of both least squares modelling for error resolution and piecewise linear transformation for maintaining control point coincidence. Data has been exchanged with Universal Systems Ltd. CARIS mainframe GIS technology. Conversion of misreferenced hydrographic charts is a response to increased use of Global Positioning Systems (GPS) for marine recreational craft navigation.

Territorial Sea Limits Labrador and Baffin Island Coasts
Canada Canadian Hydrographic Service
Central Region Location of uncharted rocks and islands to increase the size of Canada’s Territorial Sea for specified areas on the Labrador and Baffin Island Coasts. Inspection of National Topographic Maps (1:50,000 and 1:250,000 series), aerial photographs and satellite imagery to locate possible rocks and islands and to establish their positions on nautical charts.

Project	Location	Client	Description
Arctic Shallow Water Bathymetry	Canadian Arctic	Canadian Hydrographic Service Central Region	Application of airphoto interpretation procedures to shallow water mapping in the Canadian Arctic. Evaluation of existing colour and black and white aerial photos and LANDSAT imagery to determine water depth penetration and suitability for mapping. Development of objectives for a test project, selection of test area, and preparation of specifications and supervision of aerial photography for test area were the major outputs of the projects.

Fixed-Base Aerial Photo Bathymetry	Bruce Peninsula Lake Huron Ontario	Canadian Hydrographic Service Central Region	Development of simultaneous fixed based aerial photography methodologies for shallow water mapping. Project involved the use of two metric 70 mm Hasselblad cameras in a camera boom mounted on a helicopter. A microwave positioning system was integrated with the photo system to provide horizontal positioning of photo centres. Software was developed for a Zeiss G2 Stereocord and an analytical plotting system for automated analysis and plotting of refraction corrected depth measurements and other hydrographic data.

Sable Island Survey	Sable Island Nova Scotia	Canadian Hydrographic Service Atlantic Region	Preparation of specifications for sequential aerial photography mission and their interpretation for Sable Island and adjacent shoal waters. Application of large scale simultaneous photo sampling system in combination with microwave positioning system and a ship supported helicopter platform for establishing offshore photogrammetric control and positioning of shoals. Preparation of shallow water field sheets charts to 10 m contour.

Ice Pressure Ridges	Parry Sound Ontario	Canada Centre for Inland Waters	Acquisition of simultaneous large scale photographs over ice pressure ridges and measurement of ridge heights utilizing analytical photogrammetric techniques. Microwave positioning system was used for horizontal positioning of photo centres.

Photo Bathymetry	Simpson Strait Northwest Territories	Canadian Hydrographic Service Central Region	Airphoto interpretation of black and white aerial photos for shoreline, foreshore shallow water bathymetry, hazards to navigation and other features published on nautical charts for Arctic straits. Ground surveys, including benthic sampling, soundings and horizontal control surveys.

Shallow Water Bathymetry	Bruce Peninsula Ontario	Canadian Hydrographic Service Central Region	Identification and mapping of shoreline, shallow water contours, and navigational hazards using airphoto interpretation. Hydrographic soundings and SCUBA diving observations provided ground truthing data. Rectified photo mosaics were produced as base plots with overlays showing horizontal control, chart datum, high water line, and 1, 2 and 4 m depth contours.

Aerial Photo Bathymetry	North Channel Georgian Bay Ontario	Canadian Hydrographic Service Central Region	Research into the application of airphoto interpretation to shallow water bathymetric mapping. Preparation of specifications for aerial photography, horizontal control and base mapping. Ground truthing and preparation of shoreline plots as part of a Canadian Hydrographic Service operational survey in Great Lakes waters.

Barbados Coastal Conservation Study	Barbados West Indies	Government of Barbados	Hydrographic sounding and sub-bottom profiling surveys for the West Coast of Barbados to the 100 m depth contour. Tracking and positioning range/bearing using infrared electronic distance measurements and theodolite directions. Reduction of sounding data to produce a 1:5,000 scale substrate map.

Conversion of Charts	Great Lakes	Canadian Hydrographic Service Central Region	Conversion of charts on "unknown datum" to various "standard datum" coordinate references, including NAD27 and NAD83. These conversions included the use of both least squares modelling for error resolution and piecewise linear transformation for maintaining control point coincidence. Data has been exchanged with Universal Systems Ltd. CARIS mainframe GIS technology. Conversion of misreferenced hydrographic charts is a response to increased use of Global Positioning Systems (GPS) for marine recreational craft navigation.

Territorial Sea Limits	Labrador and Baffin Island Coasts Canada	Canadian Hydrographic Service Central Region	Location of uncharted rocks and islands to increase the size of Canada’s Territorial Sea for specified areas on the Labrador and Baffin Island Coasts. Inspection of National Topographic Maps (1:50,000 and 1:250,000 series), aerial photographs and satellite imagery to locate possible rocks and islands and to establish their positions on nautical charts.