SATELLITE-DERIVED BATHYMETRY

Satellite-Derived Bathymetry – SDB – enables you to access shallow water data without on-site surveying. Allowing for remote, rapid, and continuous mapping, SDB increases the efficiency of your projects. Benefit from EOMAP’s award-winning bathymetry solution.

How your result could look

Satellite-Derived Bathymetry uses optical satellite sensors. It provides bathymetric data of shallow waters and enables continuous monitoring of nearshore changes. This improves bathymetric surveys, de-risks on-site operations, and is crucial for coastal zone management – on a local to global scale. With SDB, we have paved the way for a widely recognised bathymetric survey technique. – Unleash the power of this technology!

Satellite-Derived Bathymetry - RGB satellite image of Fiji Atoll before processingSatellite-Derived Bathymetry - RGB satellite image of Fiji Atoll after processing by EOMAP

Bathymetry-related services

In addition to Satellite-Derived Bathymetry, you can count on further EOMAP expertise for your coastal projects: to better create seamless topography-bathymetry models, to characterise seabed habitats and coastal ecosystems, and to understand coastal and shoreline changes over time.

Seamless topo-bathy grids strongly support coastal planning and management. We combine very-high resolution topography and very-high resolution bathymetry into these grids. All data are based on most recent satellite data or other sources on demand.

We position the shoreline over time to identify coastal erosion and deposition processes. Accessing very-high resolution imagery from multiple providers, we can even include almost 100 years of airborne imagery – if needed. You can rely on our services as there is a human in the loop to avoid the bias you might have seen from global products.

If ‘navigation in CAT ZOC C’ and ‘D waters’ ring a bell, we have a solution to significantly reduce your risks of grounding. Our shoals database identifies and positions shoals in Asian and Pacific waters, many of which have not been charted or are falsely positioned. The shoals database could have helped avoid manifold groundings in Southeast Asia.

You can now use SDB software just like any other software in your professional workflow. We offer powerful web app solutions such as SDB-Online and desktop options such as WATCOR-X for safe decision-making.

Multisource Bathymetry (MSB) combines the best data sources available for the given site, from coastal topography to recent shoreline and Satellite-Derived Bathymetry to sounding information. MSB aims to provide the best seamless grid possible without performing on-site surveys.

Satellite Lidar Bathymetry (SLB) is an active depth measurement from space leveraging the green lidar of IceSAT-2. We provide SLB-based depth profiles at different vertical data and with all relevant metadata.

EOMAP seafloor classification service not only helps identify types of sensitive seabed habitats in shallow water depths, such as coral reefs, seagrass and kelp habitats. Via satellite technology, satellite-based seafloor classification also helps quantify seafloor habitats. In addition, we can monitor nearshore ecosystems over time.

Why choose SDB by EOMAP?

Trust

Clients trust our solutions and services with a rating of 9 out of 10. Above all, they value our excellent customer service. Lately, the high reputation of our SDB solutions made Fugro acquire EOMAP.

Lead

Having pioneered in SDB and seabed mapping services over two decades, we were contracted by the European Commission for a global bathymetry dataset and serve both Seabed2030 and EMODnet. Our SDB data were the first worldwide to be integrated into a nautical chart.

Experience

Our team has been spearheading SDB technology and services for 20 years. About 100 projects per year range from small cable landing sites to pan-national coverage.

Feel this expertise from the first point of contact through professional expectation management, data analysis and project meetings!

Tech

For us, the inversion of the Radiative Transfer Equation (RTE), physics-based Satellite-Derived Bathymetry, hyper- and multispectral analysis, AI and ML tools for image interpretation, and skilled QA/QC are daily routines. For you, it might be enough to understand that it works!

Awards

We love what we do. However, we are pleased to see that EOMAP SDB solutions have been awarded with the Bavarian Innovation Prize, the Copernicus Tech Award and many other Earth Observation-related prizes throughout the years.

Bathymetry Keyapplictions Infographic V02

Learn more about SDB

SDB STORY MAP

Scroll through the development of Satellite-Derived Bathymetry

EOAPP SDB-ONLINE

Try the web app for bathymetry from the comfort of your desk!

INFO CENTRE

Access downloads, imagery and more

How to order Satellite-Derived Bathymetry

DATA & CONSULTING

This is your tailored solution for high-resolution bathymetry. We will help you fill any data gap, often within hours. Our offer includes a site-specific feasibility assessment, followed by gridded bathymetric data and a survey report.
Send us your enquiry!

eoapp & Software

Generate Satellite-Derived Bathymetry on your own. eoapp SDB-Online is a web app for surveyors or engineers, whereas WATCOR-X is a desktop software designed for governmental users. Moreover, we provide various database and individual software solutions.

FAQ

Simply send your area of interest in digital format to our shallow water team or use our contact form. You’ll receive a feasibility assessment for your site within hours.

Please hover over the “Trust the tech leader” buttons and see why. Still not sure why? Set-up a meeting with us to see the benefits for your work!

All data use Lowest Astronomical Tide (LAT) as the default vertical datum. We can provide other vertical datums such as Mean Sea Level on request.

Yes. We can provide SDB data in S-57 format.

The maximum water depth mapped by SDB is similar to the maximum penetration depth of sunlight. Since this varies by season and location, a global depth statement is not appropriate. The following mapping depths have been analysed: Red Sea (20–30 m), Gulf region (5–15 m from north to south), Mediterranean Sea (20–30 m), Baltic Sea (2–15 m from north to south), Caribbean Sea (20–30 m), US West Coast (5–15 m), Pacific region (20–30 m).

Depth uncertainties are provided with each data delivery and are expressed as LE90 confidence limits. This means that 90% of the data fall within the stated depth uncertainty. These uncertainties are a combination of internal model uncertainties, such as the sensitivity of the sensor, and external uncertainties (uncertainties regarding tides). They are compared against on-site or charting data, if accessible. With ideal scenarios and on-site information, EOMAP’s SDB data are accurate to 0.5 m LE90. Without access to on-site information, the uncertainty is typically between 0.5 m and 1.0 m LE90 and a depth dependent factor between 10% of water depth.

We compare and validate SDB data with very-high resolution and recent survey data, if they are accessible for parts of the site or provided by the client. Alternatively, we use our Satellite-Lidar Bathymetry profile database to quantify depth uncertainties. Additionally, we run sensitivity models which provide estimation of the error budget of the model itself. A depth uncertainty is provided for every depth point.

The geolocation uncertainties are determined by the spatial resolution of the bathymetric data grid and thus by the satellite source. They are expressed as CE90 confidence limits, meaning that 90% of the data fall within the stated horizontal uncertainty. For 2 m bathymetric grids, the horizontal uncertainty is 5 m CE90 and for 10 m grids it is 10 m CE90.

The default file types for our bathymetric data are ASCII XYZQ files (point clouds), GeoTIFFs (georeferenced raster files), KMZ overlays for Google Earth, PDF maps, and contour lines (shape files). All data come with a ‘quick look’ and metadata conforming to ISO 19139. Other formats, such as ENC and CAD, are available on request.

As an add-on, you can order a project web app for delivery. This will allow you to visualise and share your project data with only a few mouse clicks. See this example from the Maldives.

Yes. All our deliverables conform to OGC standards and can easily be opened, visualised and analysed in any GIS.

Yes. All our deliverables conform to OGC standards and can easily be opened, visualised and analysed in any hydrographic software.

Yes. All our deliverables conform to OGC standards and come with metadata conforming to ISO 19139. They can easily be opened, visualised and analysed using scripts or models.

Yes, EOMAP offers Multi-source Bathymetry Grid datasets which combine SDB data e.g. with depth information from nautical charts

EOMAP offers Multi-source Bathymetry Grid datasets and Digital Elevation and Surface Models. Both can be merged to a single, seamless elevation model.

Discover other services

In addition to bathymetry, more services will deepen your understanding of coastal and inland water ecosystems. Unlock the power of actionable insights from space!