Automatic pattern recognition and GPS/GNSS technology in marine digital terrain model

Abstract

Abstract The advent and development of the Global Positioning System (GPS) some decades ago enabled the acquisition of high spatial resolution data in all disciplines of geosciences. Scope of this work is to demonstrate the application of recent developed pattern recognition methods in marine digital terrain model and to emphasize the use of high-resolution GPS/Global Navigation Satellite System, since accurate marine data acquisition is closely related to the efficiency of the pattern recognition techniques. Specifically, this work reviews and demonstrates recent developed techniques of pattern recognition to extract linear and curvilinear patterns using marine digital terrain model. These linear and curvilinear patterns correspond to lineaments and a significant part of them to geological faults. Furthermore, the automatic extraction of seafloor features enables the accurate detection and further reliable interpretation of the seafloor morphologic structures prior and after bathymetric data acquisition. This approach highly contributes toward a rapid, objective, and low-cost acquisition of bathymetric data by focusing on selected targets for detailed study.