# Sonar Imaging of the Ocean Floor (and Other Underwater Objects)

**URL:** <https://scanalyst.fourmilab.ch/t/sonar-imaging-of-the-ocean-floor-and-other-underwater-objects/3934>\
**Category:** Tracking with Closeups\
**Tags:** sonar, side-looking-sonar, oceanography\
**Created:** [2 November 2023 16:21 UTC](https://scanalyst.fourmilab.ch/t/sonar-imaging-of-the-ocean-floor-and-other-underwater-objects/3934 "2023-11-02T16:21:42Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![johnwalker](https://scanalyst.fourmilab.ch/user_avatar/scanalyst.fourmilab.ch/johnwalker/32/17415_2.png) [@johnwalker](https://scanalyst.fourmilab.ch/u/johnwalker)\
**Post date:** [2 November 2023 16:21 UTC](https://scanalyst.fourmilab.ch/t/sonar-imaging-of-the-ocean-floor-and-other-underwater-objects/3934/1 "2023-11-02T16:21:42Z")

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[![](https://scanalyst.fourmilab.ch/uploads/default/original/3X/1/0/1063dc63c9dbd276e6fbe9142a2c969217af72aa.jpeg "How Sonar is revealing the secrets of the sea, lakes and rivers.") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yXm4P9GvUA0)

Interestingly, the basics of [sonar](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sonar) have changed little since it was used in anti-submarine warfare in World War II. The revolution in sonar technology is almost entirely due to progress in computing, which allows processing of data, sometimes collected by large arrays of hydrophones across multiple spectral bands, turning what was one “pings” interpreted by the human ear into high-resolution images of objects on the bottom, computed directly from sonar returns.