New software for processing sidescan data from sidescan-capable multibeam sonars

The authors have developed new software tools for the processing and display of sidescan data obtained with the latest generation of multibeam sonars; these programs are distributed as part of the MB-System software package. The new utilities provide a straightforward means for several common processing tasks, including analyzing the drop in backscatter intensity with increasing grazing angle, correcting sidescan images for the amplitude vs. grazing angle variation, and filtering. The grazing angle correction is particularly effective when applied to multibeam sonar sidescan for which high-resolution co-registered bathymetry is available. Examples are provided using multibeam sidescan and bathymetry obtained using a 12 kHz, 120/spl deg/ SeaBeam 2112 sonar.