SonarMorgan Walsh

 SOund Navigation And RangingA sonar is a relatively new technology that uses sound to navigate, communicate, and detect things on, or under the surface of

water such as boats, or finding fish.

Originally, the idea of a sonar came about when studying animals such as bats, and

dolphins who both use a similar technique for navigating and communication.

active and passive

Active sonar creates a pulse of sound, often called a "ping", and then listens for

reflections of the pulse. The pulse may be at constant frequency or a chirp of

changing frequency.Passive sonar's listen without transmitting.

They are usually military. Passive sonar systems usually have large sonic

databases.

Canadian engineeringThe Canadian engineer Reginald Fessenden, while working for the

Submarine Signal Company in Boston, built an experimental system beginning in

1912, a system later tested in Boston Harbor, and finally in 1914 from the U.S.

Revenue Cutter Miami on the Grand Banks off Newfoundland Canada

usesPipeline inspections

Pipeline inspections too can now be performed by high frequency side scan

sonar. Some oil and gas companies in the Danish and UK sectors of the North Sea require pipeline surveys using a two side

scan sonar.These surveys look at spans, rock dump

integrity and possible damage.

Search and rescue missionsMany side scan sonar systems are also used

by search and rescue teams (or SAR). Together with a scanning sonar deployed

on a tripod, they have proven to be an effective combined tool.

Once the target of a body is located with the side scan sonar, the scanning sonar is used

to guide the rescue diver to the site for recovering the body. 

We will always need SONARSonar designs are continually developed and improved and their applications vary widely but the principals remain largely the same. People are always looking for new and innovated ways to find and use

technology, and a Sonar can be developed to find new technologies, or new

technologies can be used to develop more powerful sonar's.

ProsSonar is an active sensor, and is more likely

to detect a submarine than a passive hydrophone .

It also allows accurate determining of range to target based upon the time it

takes between the sending of the ping and its return. 

ConsSonar’s sends out a distinct ping, which will alert the submarine that it is being

hunted.

Sonar’s have been linked to being harmful to marine life