IMI30: Rapid Delivery of Final Charts and Processed Data
HMRG has developed data processing techniques to allow fully-processed HAWAII MR-1 data sets to be delivered at sea. For every MR-1 survey since 1997, all data was fully processed into bathymetry and sidescan charts in near-real time, and delivered as final products while still at sea. In addition to satisfying PIs needs for rapid data throughput, this approach has saved money because shore-based data processing (which always takes longer to perform than the 24/7 processing that occurs at sea) has rarely been needed. These techniques benefit NSF researchers who use MR-1 and the DSL-120, and we will implement these techniques in the processing of data from the IMI-30.HMRG's shipboard staff routinely supports training programs during data acquisition at sea, allowing PIs and their students or technicians to become proficient in sonar data processing. This allows the users (PIs and their students) to gain a better understanding of the resolution capabilities and limits of the data, and also transfers processing skills to PIs so they may conduct their own processing efforts. This gives PIs more control over images to use in presentations and publications. HMRG sonar processing software is available free of charge to all federally funded researchers, and can be used by them at their home institutions.As with MR-1 data, sidescan and bathymetry from the IMI-30 will use output formats that can easily be imported into commonly-used mapping software such as the freely-available Generic Mapping Tools (GMT), as well as commercially available GIS packages.