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Buzz's Business Blog

Hello, my name is Buzz. My parents named me after the second man to walk on the Moon. However, my ambition isn't to reach the moon, I am aiming for a fantastic career in business. My dad left town when I was pretty young and so I didn't see him as I was growing up. Thankfully, my uncle Bob was a great influence. Not only is he a great guy, he is also a great businessman. For the past 8 months, Bob has been offering me advice about the range of different businesses I could start. i hope you enjoy my blog.

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Hydrographic Surveys: Everything You Need to Know

by Carolyn Jordan

The need for land surveying has been there for many years. People must assess the condition of their land, mark boundaries and determine if it is ideal for the specific purpose that they want to use it for. For this reason, the scope of land surveying has grown over the years to meet the changing demands of the market. Hydrographic surveys are a good example of the evolution that has been necessitated by the need to reclaim and use land buried by seas, lakes and other water bodies. If you want to reclaim and use submerged land, here is everything you need to know about hydrographic surveys:

What is a Hydrographic Survey?

Hydrographic survey refers to the description and measurement of natural features that affect marine construction, navigation, oil exploration, dredging, mineral extraction and other commercial activities. The essence is to investigate currents, shorelines, tides, submerged obstructions and soundings to determine how they affect the usability of submerged land and the immediately adjacent areas. It is thus important to carry out a hydrographic survey before developing submerged land.

What Methods are used in Hydrographic Surveys?

Just like any other type of land survey, hydrographic surveys employ a host of techniques when surveying the land. Here are some of the commonly used ones:

  • Wire-drag survey- the wire drag method requires the surveyor to attach a wire to two boats or ships and set to reach a certain depth using weights. Whenever the wire comes into contact with an obstruction, it forms a V-shape and becomes slightly taut. The location of the V is then used to pinpoint the specific location of the feature. Ideally, a wire drag survey is quick and less intensive in terms of the labour.
  • Side Scan Sonar Systems-side scan sonar systems are state-of-art technologies used in surveys today. They work in the same manner as aerial photography where geographers take photographs from a bird's eye view. In this method, the surveyor gets images of the features and obstructions submerged in the water. They are then assessed further to see how these features affect the usability of the land underneath the water.
  • Multibeam Systems- when surveying land submerged in water, knowing the depth of water is elemental for determining how much of a structure will be submerged under the water. This method is used to come up with the data regarding the depth of the water.

The side scan sonar system and the multibeam system only needs one vessel, unlike the wire drag method. Contact a land surveyor for more information and assistance. 

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