The principal aim of this publication is to specify minimum standards for hydrographic surveys in

order that hydrographic data collected according to these standards is sufficiently accurate and that
the spatial uncertainty of data is adequately quantified to be safely used by mariners (commercial,
military or recreational) as primary users of this information.

Chapter 1 Classification of survey

The requirements of safe navigation is vary with water depth and expected shipping types.Divided into four
categories

Special order

Special Order hydrographic surveys approach engineering standards and their use is intended to be
restricted to specific critical areas with minimum underkeel clearance and where bottom
characteristics are potentially hazardous to vessels.

Special Order requires the use of closely spaced lines in conjunction with side scan sonar, multi-
transducer arrays or high resolution multibeam echosounders to obtain 100% bottom search. It must
be ensured that cubic features greater than 1m can be discerned by the sounding equipment.

Order 1

Order 1 hydrographic survey are intended for harbours, harbour approach channels, recommended
tracks, inland navigation channels, and coastal areas of high commercial traffic density where
underkeel clearance is less critical and the geophysical properties of the seafloor are less hazardous
to vessels (e.g. soft silt or sand bottom). Order 1 surveys should be limited to areas with less than 100
m water depth. Although the requirement for seafloor search is less stringent than for Special Order,
full bottom search is required in selected areas where the bottom characteristics and the risk of
obstructions are potentially hazardous to vessels.

Order 2

Order 2 hydrographic surveys are intended for areas with depths less than 200 m. general description
of the bathymetry is sufficient to ensure there are no obstructions on the seafloor that will endanger
the type of vessel expected to transit or work the area. It is the criteria for a variety of maritime uses
for which higher order hydrographic surveys cannot be justified. Full bottom search may be required in
selected areas where the bottom characteristics and the risk of obstructions may be potentially
hazardous to vessels.

Order 3

Order 3 hydrographic surveys are intended for all areas not covered by Special Order, and Orders 1
and 2 in water depths in excess of 200 m.
To calculate the error limits for depth accuracy the corresponding values of a and b listed in
Table 1 have to be introduced into the formula
±[a2+(b*d)2]
with
a constant depth error, i.e. the sum of all constant errors
b*d depth dependent error, i.e. the sum of all depth dependent errors
b factor of depth dependent error
d depth

Chapter 2 Positioning

Positions should be referenced to a geocentric reference system, recommended as the World

Geodetic System 84 (WGS 84). If, exceptionally, positions are referenced to the local horizontal
datum, this local datum should be tied to a geocentric reference system, recommended as the World
Geodetic System 84 (WGS 84).

Horizontal Control

Primary shore control points should be located by ground survey methods to a relative accuracy of 1
part in 100,000. When geodetic satellite positioning methods are used to establish such points, the
error should not exceed 10 cm at 95% confidence level.

Secondary stations for local positioning which will not be used for extending the control should be
located such that the error does not exceed 1 part in 10,000 for ground survey techniques or 50 cm
using geodetic satellite positioning.

Positioning of sounding

The accuracy of the position of a sounding is the accuracy at the position of the sounding on the
bottom located within a geodetic reference frame.
Navigation Aids and Important Features

At 95% confidence level

Chapter 3 Depths

The navigation of vessels requires accurate knowledge of the water depth in order for a maximum cargo
capacity for safe carrying, and the maximum available water for safe navigation.

Where the under-keel clearances are an issue, so the depth uncertainties must be more tightly controlled
and better understood. And the size of features that will be detected or not detected by the survey, it should
be defined and understood.

The measured depths and drying heights shall be referenced to a vertical datum that is compatible with the
survey to be made or updated from the survey e.g. chart datum, LAT, MSL, a geocentric reference frame
based on ITRS or a geodetic reference level.

Depth Accuracy

Depth accuracy is to be understood as the accuracy of the reduced depths. In determining the depth
accuracy, the sources of individual errors need to be quantified. All error sources should be combined
to obtain a Total Propagated Error (TPE). TPE results from the combination of all contributing errors
which include among other things:
a) measurement system and sound velocity errors
b) tidal measurement and modelling errors, and
c) data processing errors.

The TPE, determined statistically at the 95% confidence level, is the value used to describe the depth
accuracy achieved. The TPE should be recorded together with the sounding value

Depth Measurement
Determination of the general seabed topography, tidal reduction, and detection, classification and
measurement of seabed hazards are fundamental hydrographic surveying tasks.

For wrecks and obstructions which may have less than 40 m clearance above them and may be
dangerousto normal surface navigation, the least depth over them should be determined either by
high definition sonarexamination or physical examination (diving). Mechanical sweeping may be used
when guaranteeing a minimum safe clearance depth.

Measured depths should be reduced to chart or survey datum, by the application of tidal or water level
height.Tidal reductions should not be applied to depths greater than 200 m, except when tides
contribute significantly to the TPE.

Sounding Density

In planning the density of soundings, both the nature of the seabed in the area and the requirements
of the users have to be taken into account to ensure adequate bottom search.

Line Spacing

The results of a survey have to be assessed using procedures developed by the agency responsible
for the survey quality. Based on these procedures it has to be decided whether the extent of bottom
search is adequate and whether the line spacing should be reduced or extended. These procedures
may include an appropriate statistical error analysis which should take into consideration
interpolation errors, as well as depth and positioning errors of the measured depths

Chapter 4 Other measurement

Seabed Sampling

The nature of the seabed should be determined in potential anchorage areas; it may be determined by
physical sampling or inferred from other sensors (e.g. single beam echo sounders, side scan sonar,
subbottom profiler, video, etc.).

Physical samples should be gathered at a spacing dependent on the seabed geology and as required to
ground truth any inference technique.

Chart and Land Survey Vertical Datums Connection

IHO Technical Resolution A2.5, as set out in IHO Publication M-3, requires that the datum used for tidal
predictions should be the same as that used for chart datum.

In order for the preparation of bathymetric data, the vertical datum used for tidal observations should be
connected to the general land survey datum via prominent fixed marks in the vicinity of the tide gauge /
station / observatory.

Ellipsoidal height determinations of the vertical reference marks used for tidal observations should be
made relative to a geocentric reference frame based on ITRS, preferably WGS84, or to an appropriate
geodetic reference level.

Tidal Predictions

Tidal data may be required for analysis for the future prediction of tidal heights and the production of Tide
Tables in which case observations should cover as long a period of time as possible and preferably not
less than 30 days.

Tidal Stream and Current Observations

The speed and direction of tidal streams and currents which may exceed 0.5 knot should be observed at
the entrances to harbours and channels, at any change in direction of a channel, in anchorages and
adjacent to wharf areas. It is also desirable to measure coastal and offshore streams and currents when
they are of sufficient strength to affect surface navigation.
The tidal stream and current at each position should be measured at depths sufficient to meet the
requirements of normal surface navigation in the survey area. And simultaneous observations of tidal
height and meteorological conditions should be made and the period of observation should ideally be 30
days. The speed and direction of the tidal stream and current should be measured to 0.1 knot and the
nearest 10º respectively, at 95% confidence level.

Chapter 5 Data Attribution

To allow a comprehensive assessment of the quality of survey data it is necessary to record or

document certain information together with the survey data. Such information is important to allow
exploitation of survey data by a variety of users with different requirements, especially as
requirements may not be known when survey data is collected.

The process of documenting the data quality is called data attribution; the information on the data
quality is called metadata.

Metadata should comprise at least information on:

- the survey in general as e.g. date, area, equipment used, name of survey platform
- the geodetic reference system used, i.e. horizontal and vertical datum; including ties to
WGS 84 if a local datum is used
- calibration procedures and results
- sound velocity
- tidal datum and reduction
- accuracies achieved and the respective confidence levels.

Point Data Attribution

All data should be attributed with its uncertainty estimate at the 95% confidence level for both position
and, if relevant, depth. In order to determine the uncertainty at 95% confidence level, the computed scale
factor has to be applied to the standard deviation. While the assumed statistical distribution of errors
should be recorded in the survey’s metadata.

Chapter 6 Elimination of Doubtful Data

To improve the safety of navigation it is desirable to eliminate doubtful data which are usually denoted on
chart such as PA (Position Approximate), PD (Position Doubtful), ED (Existence Doubtful), SD (Sounding
Doubtful) or as "reported danger".

To confirm the existence of such data it is necessary to carefully define the area to be searched and
subsequently survey that area according to the outlined IHO S44 standards.

Extent of Area to be Searched

It is recommended the search area radius should be at least 3 times the estimated position uncertainty at
95% confidence level as determined by a qualified hydrographic surveyor.

Conducting the Search

The methodology for conducting the search should be based on the nature of the feature, the area in
which the doubtful data is reported and the estimated danger of the potential hazard to surface
navigation.

Presentation of Search Results

Once the hazard has been detected, the doubtful data should be replaced with the actual data collected
during the search. If not detected, the surveyor should decide whether to retain the hazard as charted or
to delete it.