side-scan sonar
noun
\ ˈsīd-ˌskan-
\
\
Definition of side-scan sonar
: a sonar that scans the ocean floor to the side of a ship's track and is used especially for mapping the ocean bottom
Examples of side-scan sonar in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
After hours of searching the seafloor with side-scan sonar, Kogvik and his colleagues found Terror, about 80 feet underwater. — National Geographic, "In 1845 explorers sought the Northwest Passage—then vanished," 8 Aug. 2019 Around the same time, Mr. Lawton asked Garry Kozak, an expert in the use of side-scan sonar, for his help in the search. — Neil Vigdor, New York Times, "U.S. Ship Sunk in World War II by German Sub Is Found Off Maine Coast," 19 July 2019 To win the contest, GEBCO-NF equipped its AUV with a multi-beam echo sounder, a kind of sonar ideal for mapping the seabed, and a side-scan sonar unit, a scanner with the ability to swiftly produce large images of the seafloor. — Stav Dimitropoulos, Popular Mechanics, "Meet the Machines That Could Unlock the Ocean's Deepest Secrets," 11 June 2019 The five AUVs used in the search are equipped with side-scan sonar, multi-beam echo-sounder for seabed mapping, an HD camera, and synthetic aperture sonar. — Sean Gallagher, Ars Technica, "Doomed Argentine sub found a year after its disappearance," 19 Nov. 2018 Diving into a mystery In 1993, archaeologists and divers consulted eighteenth-century maps and logs for information about the locations of the wrecks, then took to the water with side-scan sonar to find them. — Kiona N. Smith, Ars Technica, "Captain Cook’s HMS Endeavour found off the coast of Rhode Island," 24 Sep. 2018 Officers were able to find Thota after days of searching by using side-scan sonar equipment and underwater cameras. — Justin L. Mack, Indianapolis Star, "Police pull body of missing Bloomington man from Lake Monroe," 4 June 2018 The Sandusky Fire Department's dive team used side-scan sonar, but was unable to find the man. — Kaylee Remington, cleveland.com, "Coast Guard suspends search for man who fell off boat in Sandusky Bay," 28 Apr. 2018 With its side-scan sonar, the Remus 6000 is capable of mapping over 100 square kilometers per deployment. — Sean Gallagher, Ars Technica, "World War II carrier “Lady Lex” found 2 miles under sea by Allen expedition," 6 Mar. 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'side-scan sonar.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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