Navigable Area 2023 H13708 Louisiana Texas Galveston, Texas Sabine Bank 40000 2023-03-26 2023-06-08 2023-02-09 OPR-K371-TJ-23 NOAA Ship Thomas Jefferson (S222) Matthew Jaskoski, CDR/NOAA MBES Kongsberg Maritime EM 2040 MBES Backscatter Kongsberg Maritime EM 2040 SSS EdgeTech 4200 Atlantic Hydrographic Branch meters Any revisions to the Descriptive Report (DR) applied during office processing are shown in red italic text. The DR is maintained as a field unit product, therefore all information and recommendations within this report are considered preliminary unless otherwise noted. The final disposition of survey data is represented in the NOAA nautical chart products. All pertinent records for this survey are archived at the National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) and can be retrieved via https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/. Products created during office processing were generated in NAD83 UTM 15N, MLLW. All references to other horizontal or vertical datums in this report are applicable to the processed hydrographic data provided by the field unit. North American Datum 1983 Mean Lower Low Water VDatum Projected UTM 15 2023-07-11 CC0-1.0 (NOAA Field Units) CC0-1.0 https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/ https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/legalcode These data were produced by NOAA and are in the public domain within the United States. NOAA waives any potential copyright and related rights in these data worldwide through the Creative Commons Zero 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication (CC0). This hydrographic survey was acquired in accordance with the requirements defined in the Project Instructions OPR-K371-TJ-23 and in the 2022 Hydrographic Survey Specifications and Deliverables (HSSD) (Figure 1). Complete coverage requirements were met with 100% Side Scan Sonar (SSS) coverage and concurrent Multibeam Echosounder (MBES) coverage (Figures 2 and 3). Due to operational time contraints, data was not collected for the entire survey area delineated in the Project Instructions. One MBES holiday exists within the data collected for sheet H13708 (Figure 4). This holiday is co-located with one backscatter holiday. 29.584927777777775 94.23811111111111 29.284608333333335 93.51037222222222 H13708 survey sheet limits outlined in black, plotted over ENC US4TX71M with northwest and southeast limits of collected data noted. This image depicts combined MBES and SSS coverage. The legend is in meters. file:///H:/OPR-K371-TJ-23/Surveys/H13708/01_HDR/Reports/Descriptive_Report/SupportFiles/A_Area_Surveyed_Sheet_Limits.png H13708 MBES coverage, including crosslines. The legend is in meters. file:///H:/OPR-K371-TJ-23/Surveys/H13708/01_HDR/Reports/Descriptive_Report/SupportFiles/A_Multibeam_Coverage.png H13708 SSS coverage. The legend is in decibels. file:///H:/OPR-K371-TJ-23/Surveys/H13708/01_HDR/Reports/Descriptive_Report/SupportFiles/A_SSS_Coverage.png H13708 MBES holiday. It is approximately 56.5m long, and is located at the coordinates 29° 21' 52.26" N, 93° 59' 38.27" W. file:///H:/OPR-K371-TJ-23/Surveys/H13708/01_HDR/Reports/Descriptive_Report/SupportFiles/H13708_MBES_Holiday.png This hydrographic survey covers an area where safe maritime commerce is critical to to the regional economy and environment. In 2018, the Port of Houston supported $159.8 billion in trade. The area around the Houston Shipping Channel is the nation's largest importer/exporter of petroleum products and supported 713,000 jobs directly or indirectly.1 In 2018, the Port of Galveston supported $6.4 billion in trade and supported 28,000 jobs directly and indirectly. The Port of Galveston is also home to Texas’ main cruise ship terminal supporting over 250 cruise ship calls and approximately 2 million passengers.2 This project covers approximately 880 square nautical miles between the Galveston Entrance and Sabine Bank Channels in an area which has not been surveyed since 1963. The current chart coverage shows numerous reported wrecks and obstructions with their positions reported to be approximate; these pose a risk to surface navigation. This survey will identify changes to the bathymetry and resolve position uncertainty in known hazards to navigation. Data from this project will provide contemporary surveys to update National Ocean Service nautical charts and products in an area critical to the nation's economy. Survey data from this project is intended to supersede all prior survey data in the common area. 1. Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, https://comptroller.texas.gov/economy/economic-data/ports/houston.php 2. https://comptroller.texas.gov/economy/economic-data/ports/galveston.php The entire survey is adequate to supersede previous data. Refer to the Data Acquisition and Processing Report (DAPR) for a complete description of data acquisition and processing systems, survey vessels, quality control procedures and data processing methods. The following vessels were used for data acquisition during this survey: S222 Length Overall: 63.4m Draft: 4.6m 2903 Legnth Overall: 8.5m Draft: 1.2m Sound speed profiles were conducted at the start of data acquisition each day and at a minimum of once every four hours during acquisition using a SeaBird Seacat 19+ V2 CTD and a Moving Vessel Profiler 200 system. All sound speed methods were used as detailed in the DAPR. A total of 24 sound speed profiles were collected as part of the acquisition of survey H13708 (Figure 7). Eight of these profiles were located outside of the sheet limits, not more than 330 meters away, and are representative of the area. All sound speed profile data were concatenated into a master file for the survey. MBES data were corrected by applying profiles nearest in distance in time (4 hours) using this master file. At the end of OPR-K371-TJ-23 acquisition, the field unit observed a “wobble” artifact in the outer edges of the multibeam for TJ launch 2903. Systematic issues were not observed during Hydrographic Systems Readiness Review (HSRR) or throughout the project due to acquisition in shallow water. The “wobble” became apparent in depths greater than 20 meters. Hydrographic Systems Technology Branch used QPS’ Qimera Software to investigate the issue and computed a yaw misalignment of +2.2° with the wobble tool. It was further determined that the yaw value calculated during initial patch testing was entered in Applanix POS M/V as -0.9° instead of +0.9°. The field unit used Applanix POSPac Software to update the Z-component of the IMU with respect to reference point mounting angles to 1.1° to correct the misalignment. Then, the following steps were taken: Re-ran GNSS-inertial processor Re-exported SBET (with corrected offsets) Imported the new SBET and RMS to affected TJ Launch 2903 data and overwrote position, height, and attitude (gyro, pitch, and roll) Georeferenced all affected data Created new surfaces Updated SBETs and RMS files are included in the product deliverables. Reference the Project Correspondence included in the submission package for a record of the correspondence with HSTB. NOAA Ship Thomas Jefferson S222 (Photo Courtesy: https://nauticalcharts.noaa.gov/updates/thomas-jefferson-search-and-rescue/) file:///H:/OPR-K371-TJ-23/Surveys/H13708/01_HDR/Reports/Descriptive_Report/SupportFiles/D_S222.jpg Thomas Jefferson Launch 2903 (Photo Courtesy: https://nauticalcharts.noaa.gov/updates/noaa-contributes-to-empowering-women-in-hydrography-through-at-sea-experience-part-4/) file:///H:/OPR-K371-TJ-23/Surveys/H13708/01_HDR/Reports/Descriptive_Report/SupportFiles/D_2903.jpg H13708 cast locations shown in orange file:///H:/OPR-K371-TJ-23/Surveys/H13708/01_HDR/Reports/Descriptive_Report/SupportFiles/H13708_Casts_Overview.png The bathymetric surface of survey H13708 complies with uncertainty standards stipulated in the 2022 HSSD. The Uncertainty Standards plot depicted in Figure 8 illustrates that 100% of nodes in the H13708 MBES surface comply with uncertainty requirements. H13708 uncertainty standards file:///H:/OPR-K371-TJ-23/Surveys/H13708/01_HDR/Reports/Descriptive_Report/SupportFiles/H13708_MB_1m_MLLW_Final.GQv6.tvu_qc.png In addition to ensuring that the data collected complies with uncertainty standards, the Pydro tool Compare Grids was utilized to ensure that no systemic issues persist in data collected over the course of acquisition. A Single Resolution (SR) 1m Combined Uncertainty and Bathymetry Estimator (CUBE) surface of mainscheme data and a SR 1m CUBE surface of crossline data were differenced. The resulting mean was 0.03m with a standard deviation of 0.05m, verifying the consistency of the data (Figures 9 and 10). Vessel S222 collected 31.12 linear nautical miles of MBES crosslines, or about 11.34% of mainscheme data. 17.03 linear nautical miles, or about 6% of the crosslines, intersect with mainscheme lines in areas surveyed. An image reflecting crossline distribution and depth my be viewed in Section A (Figure 2). H13708 crossline/mainscheme comparison statistics file:///H:/OPR-K371-TJ-23/Surveys/H13708/01_HDR/Reports/Descriptive_Report/SupportFiles/H13708_MB_1m_MLLW.Mainscheme-H13708_MB_1m_MLLW.XL_depth_delta.png H13708 crossline fraction of allowable error statistics file:///H:/OPR-K371-TJ-23/Surveys/H13708/01_HDR/Reports/Descriptive_Report/SupportFiles/H13708_MB_1m_MLLW.Mainscheme-H13708_MB_1m_MLLW.XL_fracAllowErr_Freq.png Survey H13708 junctions with contemporary surveys H13706 and H13709 (Figure 11). In this Descriptive Summary, the junction between H13708 and H13709 will be analyzed. Reference the Descriptive Report for survey H13706 for more information regarding the junction between H13708 and H13706. Survey H13708, and contemporary junctioning surveys H13706 and H13709 file:///H:/OPR-K371-TJ-23/Surveys/H13708/01_HDR/Reports/Descriptive_Report/SupportFiles/Junction_Overview_Image.png The western edge of survey H13708 junctions with the eastern edge of survey H13709. The Pydro tool Compare Grids was utilized to difference a 1m SR CUBE surface of H13708 and a 1m SR CUBE surface of H13709. The mean difference between bathymetric surface nodes was 0.06m with a standard deviation of 0.06 (Figure 12). Statistics and visual inspection indicate that surveys H13708 and H13709 are in general agreement (Figures 13 and 14). H13708 and H13709 surface difference comparison statistics file:///H:/OPR-K371-TJ-23/Surveys/H13708/01_HDR/Reports/Descriptive_Report/SupportFiles/H13708_MB_1m_MLLW_Final-H13709_MB_1m_MLLW_Final_depth_delta.png Fraction of allowable error surface difference comparison in color between H13708 and H13709 file:///H:/OPR-K371-TJ-23/Surveys/H13708/01_HDR/Reports/Descriptive_Report/SupportFiles/Fraction_of_Allowable_Error.png H13708 and H13709 fraction of allowable error statistics file:///H:/OPR-K371-TJ-23/Surveys/H13708/01_HDR/Reports/Descriptive_Report/SupportFiles/H13708_MB_1m_MLLW.Mainscheme-H13708_MB_1m_MLLW.XL_fracAllowErr_Freq.png US3GC02M 25000 67 2022-04-26 2022-11-15 US4TX71M 80000 42 2022-07-12 2022-08-02 H13708_MB_1m_MLLW CARIS Raster Surface (CUBE) 1 8.36 13.69 NOAA_1m Complete MBES H13708_MB_1m_MLLW_Final CARIS Raster Surface (CUBE) 1 8.36 13.69 NOAA_1m Complete MBES H13708_SSSAB_1m_600kHz_1of1 SSS Mosaic 1 N/A 100% SSS H13708_MBAB_2m_2903_300kHz_1of1 MB Backscatter Mosaic 2 N/A Complete MBES Complete coverage requirements were met by 100% SSS with concurrent MBES coverage as specified under section 5.2.2.2 of the 2022 HSSD. All bathymetric grids for H13708 meet density requirements per the 2022 HSSD (Figure 15). Raw MBES backscatter was logged as part of the .all file of the Kongsberg EM2040 systems. Backscatter was processed in QPS Fledermaus GeoCoder Toolbox (FMGT) software, and the exported geotiffs are included in the final processed data package. H13708 data density statistics file:///H:/OPR-K371-TJ-23/Surveys/H13708/01_HDR/Reports/Descriptive_Report/SupportFiles/H13708_MB_1m_MLLW_Final.GQv6.density.png Refer to the DAPR for a complete description of vertical control procedures. The Trimble-RTX service was used with an Applanix POS MVv5 GNSS_INS system to obtain highly accurate ellipsoidally referenced position data to meet ERS specifications for H13708 MBES data from vessels S222 and HSL 2903. The Wide Area Augmentation System was used for real-time horizontal control during data acquisition on vessels S222 and 2903. Refer to the DAPR for a complete description of horizontal control procedures. Assigned Feature Investigations and Unburied Pipelines A limited number of assigned feature investigations were completed during the course of acquisition. Reference the Final Feature File included in the submission package for this survey for details. One segment of unburied pipeline was found and reported following guidance in the 2022 HSSD. Reference the Survey Correspondence for a record of this submission. As Chief of Party, field operations for this hydrographic survey were conducted under my direct supervision, with frequent personal checks of progress and adequacy. I have reviewed the attached survey data and reports. All field sheets, this Survey Summary Report, and all accompanying records and data are approved. All records are forwarded for final review and processing to the Processing Branch. The survey data meets or exceeds requirements as set forth in the NOS Hydrographic Surveys Specifications and Deliverables, Field Procedures Manual, Standing and Letter Instructions, and all HSD Technical Directives. These data are adequate to supersede charted data in their common areas. This survey is complete and no additional work is required with the exception of deficiencies noted in the Survey Summary Report. Matthew J. Jaskoski, CDR/NOAA Commanding Officer 2023-09-29 Sydney M. Catoire, LT/NOAA Field Operations Officer 2023-09-29 Erin K. Cziraki Chief Survey Technician 2023-09-29 Danielle H. Black Sheet Manager 2023-09-29