The screen grab above displays the first step in the sidescan sonar editing process, "bottom detect editing." The upper graph displays the magnitude per ping of returned sound recorded since the wave was emitted, by altitude as displayed on the Y axis, and ping along the X axis. During this phase of the process, an acoustic specialist identifies the first returned sound, essentially removing the time taken for the sound to travel out and back through the water so the data reflects the seafloor terrain. Image courtesy of UCSB, Univ. S. Carolina, NOAA, WHOI.
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