Development of software for automated generation of geospatial GeoTIFF data of hydroacoustic echograms for the module of the oceanographic data bank of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine

• Date: 2025
• Main Authors: Shundel, Oleksiy, Fedoseienkov, Serhii, Nevierova, Svitlana, Speranska, Nataliia
• Format: Article
• Language: Ukrainian
• Published: Kyiv National University of Construction and Architecture 2025
• Subjects: hydroacoustics; side-scan sonar; echogram; GeoTIFF; geospatial data; automated processing; geographic information systems; aquatic ecosystem monitoring; oceanographic data; software
• Online Access: https://es-journal.in.ua/article/view/343566
• Journal Title: Environmental safety and natural resources

This article presents the development of software designed for the automated generation of geospatial data from hydroacoustic echograms obtained via side-scan sonar (SSS). SSS is a key tool for mapping the underwater environment, allowing for high-resolution echograms of the bottom and coastal zone. The combination of SSS data with satellite navigation (GPS) creates conditions for an accurate geospatial representation of underwater features, which is critical for oceanographic research, engineering work and environmental monitoring. Software processing of "raw" (initial) SSS data requires several stages: separation of port and starboard channels, reading GPS tags, smoothing the ship's track and converting echogram pixels into a georeferenced raster. The primary objective is to create a tool that facilitates efficient processing and visualization of SSS data, enabling the georeferencing of results in the GeoTIFF format. The developed software implements algorithms for preliminary signal processing, noise filtering, coordinate transformation, and the automatic creation of echogram mosaics. The practical application of this tool is demonstrated through a case study of surveying a section of the Dnipro River channel, resulting in high-quality geospatial images of the riverbed. The outcomes indicate the effectiveness of the proposed approach for integrating hydroacoustic data into geographic information systems (GIS), thereby opening new opportunities for monitoring aquatic ecosystems and supporting scientific research in the field of oceanography.