Centralised public access to high quality bathymetry and sediment data facilitates SMEs both for consultancy work, outreach and service development
Noise propagation is affected by the environment. This is especially true for underwater sound transmission as marine acoustic impact models are heavily reliant on bathymetry and sediment data to achieve good accuracy. Without good data availability (resolution and accuracy) the modelling will have higher uncertainties and mitigation recommendations become excessively conservative, leading to higher project cost.
Having highly detailed data centrally available means being able to execute impact assessment quickly and without the need of introducing expensive and time consuming mapping works for each separate project.
Irwin Carr Consulting is an SME that provides specialist services that range from environmental noise, air quality, building acoustics and underwater noise. The development of the dBSea software for underwater noise prediction has established the company further as a frontrunner in advanced marine acoustics.
The availability of both depth data and geology data from one centralised point of contact (EMODnet) enabled the SME to be competitive and have efficient turn-around times on marine projects that otherwise would be delayed by prohibitively costly marine mapping work prior to impact assessments.
“Without services like EMODnet we could not exist in our current form due to prohibitive costs of gathering the data ourselves. This would be the case for many other SMEs as well, and would ultimately lead to increased consultancy costs.” says Rasmus Sloth Pedersen, Acoustic Consultant at Irwin Carr Consulting, “The existence of EMODnet promotes and enables competition among consultancies. In our view this ensures better impact assessments, at a lower cost, with more transparency than would be the case without data publicly available.”
Irwin Carr Consulting regularly uses bathymetry and geology data from EMODnet (on a weekly basis), both for its consultancy work, but also for its academic and outreach work.
About Irwin Carr Consulting
Irwin Carr Consulting is an SME that operates out of Ireland and the UK, providing specialist services that range from environmental noise, air quality, building acoustics and underwater noise. The company further host courses in environmental acoustics for regulators, academics and the industry. The development of the dBSea software for underwater noise prediction has established the company further as a frontrunner in advanced marine acoustics.
Single sound source off the coast of Portugal and Morocco. Exaggerated bathymetry to show “sonic shadows” (quiet zones) behind undersea mountains.
An example of full 3D propagation modelling. Notice the interference patterns behind Nantucket Island.