GeoAcoustics channel partner Ekotechnika supplied the Faculty of Environment at Jan Evangelista Purkyně University (UJEP) in Ústí nad Labem with a GeoSwath 4R multibeam bathymetric sonar system, which scientists are now using to map the bottoms of reservoirs and waterways across the region in greater detail than was previously possible using point-based measurements.

The project has recently been featured by public broadcaster Česká Televize and commercial station TV Nova, bringing greater visibility to the university’s research and the technology helping to make it possible.

The sonar scans a complete strip of the bottom along the vessel’s route, creating a dense point cloud comparable to laser scanning and providing researchers with a detailed picture of the underwater environment.

The university is putting it to work across a range of applications, from monitoring reservoir sedimentation and the movement of sediments to documenting the remains of villages and structures now submerged beneath the water.

During the first test surveys on Lake Žernoseky, researchers captured the remains of the former Barricade Bridge as well as a sunken concrete vessels. The data collected through the project is also being used directly in geoinformatics teaching, giving students the opportunity to work with modern hydrographic surveying technology and real-world datasets.

Ekotechnika worked in cooperation with GeoAcoustics to install the system and provide the university team with training in its use, including practical training at the Vrané nad Vltavou reservoir. It follows an earlier sonar system supplied by Ekotechnika to the University of Ostrava.

It is fantastic to see the work receiving such prominent national exposure, shining a spotlight on the research underway at UJEP. For us at GeoAcoustics, it is also another great example of how our global network of channel partners is helping put hydroacoustic technology into the hands of researchers and survey teams, supporting a better understanding of what lies beneath our waterways.

Learn more about UJEP’s work here.

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