3D Acoustic Remote Sensing mapping of the Underwater Cultural Heritage in the Marine Protected Area of Baia submerged Park (Bay of Pozzuoli, Southern Italy)

Abstract. Underwater archaeology has historically depended on geophysical and remote sensing technology to identify and document submerged archaeological sites and shipwrecks. Acoustic remote sensing for seabed archaeology developed from sonar systems originally designed for military use and geological exploration. These systems assess the physical characteristics of the seafloor, particularly backscatter and water depth, by emitting acoustic energy towards the bottom and capturing the arrival times and directions of the returning acoustic signals. These methods are efficient in data acquisition and yield results that are both repeatable and quantifiable.
In recent decades, significant advancements in marine geophysical techniques have afforded the maritime archaeological community remarkable opportunities to redefine site mapping, evaluation, and monitoring procedures. The introduction of very-high resolution sonar systems has made it possible to determine the three-dimensional shapes of submerged objects, providing an invaluable resource for identifying and characterizing archaeological assets on the seabed.
In this work we present the preliminary results of an acoustic remote sensing survey conducted with the latest generation of ultra-high resolution (UHR) multibeam echo-sounders (MBES) in the Baia submerged park (southern Italy). These systems integrates advanced acoustic array geometry, high-precision inertial navigation and positioning systems that can rapidly generate massive point clouds of millions of individual bathymetric measurements with unprecedented resolution and accuracy. The exceptionally high density of these measurements lead to the development of multiresolution models, which can be effectively utilized for interactive 3D visualization on digital platforms.