Geodata acquired by marine soil investigation are geodetically referenced to a vertical datum such as seafloor, mean sea level and GNSS geodetic datum. This paper presents examples of uncertainty assessments for depth accuracy according to a metrological approach including probabilistic considerations. The examples are for common intrusive investigation methods and include the uncertainty of the vertical position of a sample section for a sampling activity showing partial sample recovery. Soil characteristics and operational aspects of the investigation methods are taken into consideration. The results are compared to depth accuracy classes defined by the international standard ISO 19901-8:2014 on marine soil investigations. This standard distinguishes five accuracy classes for vertical position of data points, with seafloor as vertical datum.
Joek Peuchen and Rik Wemmenhove
Keywords: marine soil investigation, depth accuracy, testing, drilling
Publisher: DFI