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Sounding of the Sea or Lake Beds

GTK’s sounding surveys investigate the geological structure of areas covered by water. Research results assist in the planning of the construction on the seabed or lake bed and in the analysis of the environmental conditions and the quantification of the extractive materials of the watercourse.

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The most common marine geological research methods include multibeam echo sounding, side-scan sonar imaging, sediment echo sounding and seismic reflection profiling.

Key benefits

A variety of geophysical methods used in surveys

GTK’s experts simultaneously use a wide set of geophysical methods to ensure a high-quality survey service.

Boosting implementation of infrastructure projects

Sounding surveys provide essential information about the structure of the seabed or lake bed to avoid surprises and support the progress of the infrastructure project according to plan. This data is also needed to meet the statutory construction requirements.

Finland’s most comprehensive sounding survey service

GTK has Finland’s most comprehensive instrument pool and the most versatile measuring equipment for water-covered areas.

Knowledge about the structure of seabeds and lake beds is central to many activities

Sounding surveys are used to investigate the quality, thickness, and structure of seabed or lake bed sediments. GTK’s service enables several simultaneous high- and low-frequency sub-bottom soundings. The applied methods include CHIRP sub-bottom profiling, multibeam sonar surveys, side-scan sonar surveys at different frequencies, and low-frequency sub-bottom profiling of coarse sediments and bedrock surface (Sparker, Boomer).

A sounding survey of a water-covered area provides information about the suitability of the target site for construction.

GTK’s survey of the geological structure of a water-covered area includes the following

sounding surveys, sediment sampling, and analysis services
stratigraphic / sediment unit interpretation
sediment investigations
seabed or lake bed substrate map

The service provides research results to be used in activities such as the planning of underwater construction, extractive material surveys, and the investigation of the environmental conditions of the seabed or lake bed. Geophysical surveys can also be used to study groundwater resources underlying water-covered areas.

Sounding surveys in development of offshore wind power

Surveys of the geological structure of the seabed are needed as a knowledge base for the planning of offshore wind power and seabed construction.

Sounding surveys in management of dredging and dumping of material

Structural surveys of the bottom of water-covered areas support the management of dredging and dumping of material during construction, as well as the overall management of limited extractive material resources. The service may also include contaminant investigations and studies related to mass stabilisation.

Two geologists on the deck of a research vessel watching the results of seabed sounding on a screen.

GTK's research vessel T/A Kaita photographed off Reposaari in Pori in October 2000.

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