A deep water multibeam system typically operates at what frequency to map significant depths?

A deep water multibeam system typically operates around 12 kHz to effectively map significant depths. This frequency offers an optimal balance between penetration depth and resolution. In deep water settings, lower frequencies are more capable of reaching greater depths, as they experience less attenuation in the water column compared to higher frequencies.

At 12 kHz, the system can efficiently cover large swathes of the seafloor while still providing sufficient detail to distinguish between various bottom types and features. This frequency is well-suited for deep water applications, where the need for penetrating deeper layers takes precedence over the ultra-high-resolution detail that might be more beneficial in shallower waters.

In contrast, higher frequencies, such as 50 kHz or 100 kHz, while capable of producing finer resolution imagery, often cannot reach as deep due to increased absorption and scattering in the water, making them less effective for mapping significant depths in deep water environments. Lower frequencies, such as 2 kHz, are applicable for very deep water surveys, but the resolution is not as high as that achieved at 12 kHz. Thus, 12 kHz represents an effective compromise for deep water multibeam mapping.