Sonar

SONAR, short for Sound Navigation and Ranging, is a tool that uses sound waves to explore the ocean. Scientists primarily use sonar to develop nautical charts, locate underwater hazards to navigation, search for and identify objects in the water column and on the seafloor such as shipwrecks, and map the seafloor itself. Sonar is used for oceanography because sound waves travel farther in the water than radar and light waves can.



The sonar system consists of physical sound sensors called transducers. Scientists may opt to use a single transducer or a group of them, called a transducer array. An array can be attached to a variety of platforms, including a remotely operated vehicle, an autonomous underwater vehicle, a ship, or a platform like a towfish or glider. There are two types of sonar—active and passive.