Survey vessel

A survey vessel collects hydrographic, geophysical, or geotechnical data about the seabed and water column, mapping depths, charting hazards, and characterizing the ground for cables, pipelines, and offshore foundations. Hydrographic survey uses multibeam and single-beam echosounders, side-scan sonar, and sub-bottom profilers tied to precise positioning to produce charts and seabed models. Geophysical survey adds magnetometers and seismic profilers; geotechnical survey takes cores and cone-penetration tests of the soil. Hulls range from small inshore launches to ocean-going ships with moon pools and dynamic positioning. The seismic survey vessel is a specialized branch built around towed streamer arrays for deep subsurface imaging.