Satellite-Derived Bathymetry

Technological innovation leading to knowledge advancement

Navigation close to the coast can be risky if the presence of shoals has not been adequately mapped, or if the coast has undergone rapid geomorphological modification after the passage of a storm. However, a large proportion of the Quebec and Canadian coasts, particularly in the Arctic, have still not been mapped for bathymetry, i.e. the depth of water on nautical charts, which is usually measured by acoustic echo sounders. In addition to navigation needs, bathymetry is a fundamental variable for coastal wave modelling and coastal ecosystem management.

Bathymetric measurements in shallow coastal waters (< 10 m) are difficult to obtain by boat using traditional methods, and many coastal regions are difficult to access. The advent of constellations of Earth observation satellites equipped with optical sensors has made it possible to develop increasingly efficient algorithms for extracting water height over large areas, at relatively low cost compared with other methods. This is known as satellite-derived bathymetry, or SDB.

However, SDB estimation is complex due to the ambiguity and complexity of the optical signal measured by satellites above the Earth’s atmosphere. At ARCTUS, we have developed numerical methods based on artificial intelligence (AI) to solve a number of problems related to SDB. Our R&D projects have enabled us to develop a suite of algorithms, which we have named AI4SDB, enabling us to offer a highly customized service for the production of satellite bathymetry data.