Sub Bottom Profilers

Echoes Series

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Guillaume Jouve

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More than just a sub-bottom profiler, the Echoes Series provides a complete solution for acquiring, processing and interpreting high-quality geological data thanks to its integration with the provided Delph Seismic software.

Developed over the past 30 years in close collaboration with the French Navy and several International Oceanographic Research Institute laboratories, including the French Research Institute IFREMER, our products quality and technology expertise come from extensive practicing and cumulative return on experience coupled with constant innovation and evolution.

High-resolution sedimentary deposits imaging

Based on CHIRP technology mastered in-house and thanks to its transducers wide aperture, Echoes Series provides very high-resolution images of the sediment layers, from shallow to deep water, with unique capabilities for object detection and a maximum penetration whatever the seabed topography.

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High performance thanks to complete vertical integration

iXblue know-how in sub-bottom profiling is built from a custom piezo-electric transducer design activity in the 150Hz to 400kHz 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, thus ensuring the highest degree of resolution and quality resulting from the signal processing.

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Unique detection capabilities

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 iXblue’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).

Schéma-Unique detection capabilities

Gas detection

Seismic reflexion data highlight the presence of gas in sediments by a critical decrease of acoustic velocity generating blanking in seismic profiles. In recent studies in volcanic environments, Echoes showed clear relations between locations of degassing and lake bottom morphologies, such as possible pockmarks and faults, providing information on how these morphologies influence volcanic degassing in this area. Although origins of gas remain difficult to access with seismic reflexion data, Echoes can generate various acoustic blanking morphotypes and help differentiate gas origins and/or dynamics.

 

Legend: Seismic profiles from Laacher See volcanic crater lake (Eifel, Germany).  Fig1: gas bubbles related to organic matter decomposition at water-sediment interface. Fig2: gas flare from the underneath volcano. Acoustic blanking on the right side of the profile indicates limits of gas saturation in sediments. Fig 3: Active gas seapage zone visible in sediments and water column.

Read the full article about gas detection in the Laacher See

Covering the full spectrum of sedimentology operations

All types of applications

 

The Echoes Series can be pole, hull-mounted or integrated on USV or AUV and are therefore easily operated and mobilized from vessels of opportunity, covering a full spectrum of applications, from shallow to deep water: physical oceanography, sea-floor mapping, oceanographic survey, industrial survey, geotechnical survey, marine archaeology, sedimentology broadband projectors and deep ocean operations

THIERRY MULDER EXPERTISE IN DEEP SEDIMENTARY PROCESSES, PROFESSOR AT UNIVERSITY OF BORDEAUX, FRANCE
“I have been using iXblue Echoes sub-bottom profilers since 2001. Their efficiency in terms of resolution and definition enables us to get the geometry, morphology and size of sedimentary components we try to reach and characterize.“
  Echoes 3500 T1 Echoes 3500 T1 Echoes 3500 T3 Echoes 3500 T3 Echoes 3500 T7 Echoes 3500 T7 Echoes 5000 Echoes 5000 Echoes 10000 Echoes 10000
Typical penetration and operational depth (m) Shallow water Continental shelf Full ocean depth 6.000 m depth-rating Shallow water
Frequency range (kHz) 1.7 – 5.5 1.7 – 5.5 1.7 – 5.5 2 – 6 5 – 15
Equivalent source level (dB @kVa) (ref 1µPa@1m) 195 203 208 189 202
Transmission power (kVA) 2 2 (4 option) 4 & 6 1 2
Resolution (cm) 20 20 20 20 8
Frequency response Flat spectrum Flat spectrum Flat spectrum Flat spectrum Flat spectrum
Digital data format (bit raw data) 24 24 24 24 24
Available pulses AM-FM/User-designed and chirp library AM-FM/User-designed and chirp library AM-FM/User-designed and chirp library AM-FM/User-designed and chirp library AM-FM/User-designed and chirp library
Aperture (*) 45 30 20 30 20
Hull-mount/Gondola
Pole-mount
Tow fish
AUV kit
  Ask for quote Ask for quote Ask for quote Ask for quote Ask for quote
  Echoes 3500 T1 Echoes 3500 T1 Echoes 3500 T3 Echoes 3500 T3 Echoes 3500 T7 Echoes 3500 T7 Echoes 5000 Echoes 5000 Echoes 10000 Echoes 10000
Typical penetration and operational depth (m) Shallow water Continental shelf Full ocean depth 6.000 m depth-rating Shallow water
Frequency range (kHz) 1.7 – 5.5 1.7 – 5.5 1.7 – 5.5 2 – 6 5 – 15
Equivalent source level (dB @kVa) (ref 1µPa@1m) 195 203 208 189 202
Transmission power (kVA) 2 2 (4 option) 4 & 6 1 2
Resolution (cm) 20 20 20 20 8
Frequency response Flat spectrum Flat spectrum Flat spectrum Flat spectrum Flat spectrum
Digital data format (bit raw data) 24 24 24 24 24
Available pulses AM-FM/User-designed and chirp library AM-FM/User-designed and chirp library AM-FM/User-designed and chirp library AM-FM/User-designed and chirp library AM-FM/User-designed and chirp library
Aperture (*) 45 30 20 30 20
Hull-mount/Gondola
Pole-mount
Tow fish
AUV kit
  Ask for quote Ask for quote Ask for quote Ask for quote Ask for quote

A complete and efficient solution with Delph Geo Software

iXblue 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

Applications

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

Downloads

Datasheet Echoes Series

(6 MB)
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Datasheet Echoes 10 000

(1 MB)
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Datasheet Echoes 3500 T1-T3

(1 MB)
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Datasheet Echoes 3500 T7

(581 KB)
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Publications

  • Gas detection and quantification using iXblue Echoes high-resolution sub-bottom profiler and Seapix 3D multibeam echosounder from the Laacher See

    G. Jouve, iXblue, C.Caudron, Isterre, G.Matte, iXblue

    IEEE 2021

    We present preliminary results from near-surface geophysics of sedimentary deposits and water column gas distributions and quantification from an Eifel crater lake (Germany), using iXblue Echoes high-resolution sub-bottom profiler and Seapix 3D multibeam echosounder.

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