SONAR

The term SONAR stands for SOund Navigation And Ranging or SOnic Navigation And Ranging

Meaning
Sonar is a technique that uses sound propagation (usually underwater, as in submarine navigation)
to navigate, measure distances , communicate with or detect objects on or under the surface of the
water, such as other vessels.

Types of SONAR

 1. Passive sonar :Means listening for the sound made by vessels.

2. Active sonar: Means emitting pulses of sounds and listening for echoes.

Working Principle
Active sonar transducers emit an acoustic signal or pulse of sound into the water. If an object is
in the path of the sound pulse, the sound bounces off the object and returns an “echo” to the
sonar transducer. If the transducer is equipped with the ability to receive signals, it measures the
strength of the signal.

Diagram
Uses
Sound waves of ultrasound frequencies are sent and recieved over a distance. By calculating the
time it takes for sound to travel, they calculate the distance from where the sound got reflected.
This technique is also called Echo-ranging.

The first recorded use of the technique was in 1490 by Leonardo da Vinci, who used a tube inserted
into the water to detect vessels by ear.[5] It was developed during World War I to counter the growing
threat of submarine warfare, with an operational passive sonar system in use by 1918.[3] Modern
active sonar systems use an acoustic transducer to generate a sound wave which is reflected from
target objects.[3]

It is used in various scientific applications:

Biomass estimation Detection of fish, and other marine and aquatic life, and estimation
their individual sizes or total biomass using active sonar techniques.
Wave measurement An upward looking echo sounder mounted on the bottom or on a
platform may be used to make measurements of wave height and period. 
Water velocity measurement Special short range sonars have been developed to
allow measurements of water velocity.
Bottom type assessment Sonars have been developed that can be used to
characterise the sea bottom into, for example, mud, sand, and gravel.
Bathymetric mapping Side-scan sonars can be used to derive maps of seafloor
topography by moving the sonar across it just above the bottom. 
Sub-bottom profiling Powerful low frequency echo-sounders have been developed
for providing profiles of the upper layers of the ocean bottom. 
Gas leak detection from the seabed Gas bubbles can leak from the seabed, or
close to it, from multiple sources. These can be detected by both passive and active sonar.

Ecological impact
Effect on marine mammals
Research has shown that use of active sonar can lead to mass strandings of marine mammals.
[71]
 Beaked whales, the most common casualty of the strandings, have been shown to be highly
sensitive to mid-frequency active sonar.[72] Other marine mammals such as the blue whale also flee
from the source of the sonar,[73] while naval activity was suggested to be the most probable cause of
a mass stranding of dolphins.[7

Effect on fish
High-intensity sonar sounds can create a small temporary shift in the hearing threshold of
some fish.
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