Marine Geophysics: Data Acquisition, Processing and Interpretation

This guidance has been written for commissioners, surveyors, and end users of marine geophysical survey data in relation to the requirements for marine archaeology. Geophysical data is often, particularly in the case of marine development, collected for a number of different reasons, including route planning, engineering, resource assessment, the identification of unexploded ordnance, ecological studies, and archaeology. Therefore, the outputs, including archiving and subsequent ease of access, need to be suitable for a number of end users in line with the policy of collect once, use many times.

Historic England also commissions geophysical survey to inform management strategies for designated historic shipwrecks, and for the purposes of supporting investigation of heritage assets that could be designated. This guidance explains the acquisition, processing and interpretation of survey data to established standards to deliver this requirement.

This second edition of marine geophysical guidance explains, in an accessible way, different techniques for conducting geophysical survey and the processing and interpretation techniques that can reveal information about the historic environment that might be encountered on, within, and beneath the seabed around England.