NIDAS is a Windows-based application that processes and analyzes temperature and salinity data from vertical profiles (historical or real time), gridded profiles (ocean models), or satellite sea surface imagery. NIDAS is designed to be used with shallow water, high-variability datasets typical of the coastal zone where statistics and modeling may be of little use. Specific uses for NIDAS include the development of survey sampling strategies, quality control of ocean profile data, construction of ocean climatological databases, oceanographic product generation (see below), and quality control of ocean thermal models. NIDAS supplements MEDAL, enabling the COMINEWARCOM METOC officer to construct synthetic profiles; perform three-dimensional grid slicing as waterfall plots or horizontal and vertical contours; export observed, provinced, or gridded profiles for use in sonar performance models; and input in situ CTD and Expendable Bathythermograph (XBT) data for comparison to historical master oceanographic observation datasets (MOODS) or gridded provinced databases.

UNISIPS was designed to standardize the processing of acoustic imagery data. UNISIPS can perform signal and image processing of raw data to create digital mosaics. UNISIPS can also use acoustic data to determine seafloor characteristics (e.g., clutter density and roughness), which are then entered into the bottom characteristics database. UNISIPS is being used as a real-time bottom-mapping analysis tool during exercises. This provides the METOC officer with extended capabilities, such as comparison of collected imagery to historical imagery to locate mine-like contacts.

Acoustic imagery mosaics are constructed in UNISIPS, and can be produced in either hardcopy or digital formats (Figure 3-3). Mosaics can then be input into CEAS, where additional environmental or operational information can be added. If a historical database of images is available, mosaics are an extremely useful tool for indicating changes in seafloor clutter which could indicate the presence of emplaced mines (Figure 3–4). Since CEAS is a geographic information system (GIS) application, layers of information can be compiled allowing the MCM commander to use the environment for tactical advantage. Acoustic imagery mosaics provide accurate estimates of bottom roughness and clutter density (Figure 3–5), and are source data for determining MIW doctrinal seafloor classifications. More important, imagery mosaics allow the MCM commander to refine operational areas based on observed topography. Since the ultimate goal is to reduce time lines and risk, operational areas and routes can be directed over more benign geologic areas where time lines and risk are lower.

STOICS are 1:25,000-scale bathymetric plots of a particular area of interest that are accompanied by environmental data collected over a specific time frame (e.g., month or season). This product has been designed to be a simple chart with the exact data needed by the user for nearshore mission planning. STOICS are not only used by the mine warfare community but also the special warfare and amphibious warfare communities.

MWPs provide environmental information essential for minefield and MCM planning and complement mine warfare doctrine. Specifically, MWPs include information on human activities, climatology, tides, currents, waves, sea ice, physical properties of seawater, seabed characteristics, and acoustic, magnetic, and biologic characteristics of a region of interest. As with STOICS and OESs (described below), MWPs are an essential planning tool for the COMINEWARCOM METOC officer. MWPs are used to define the MCM operational environment, including po-

Front Matter (R1-R12)

Executive Summary (1-3)

1 Introduction (4-8)

2 Mine Warfare: An Overview (9-27)

3 Oceanography and Mine Warfare (28-38)

4 Mine Warfare and the Ocean Environment: Mission Influence, Research Issues, and Future Exploitation (39-51)

5 Discussion and Summary (52-55)

References (56-58)

Appendix A: Steering Committee and Staff Biographies (59-60)

Appendix B: Symposium Program (61-65)

Appendix C: Symposium Participants (66-67)

Appendix D: Wargame Gamebook (68-77)

Appendix E: Environmental Science Programs Within the Office of Naval Research That Support Mine Warfare (78-81)

Appendix F: Office of Naval Research Programs to Encourage Research in Areas of Interest to Naval Operations (82-90)

Appendix G: Office of Naval Research Program Contact Information (91-95)

Appendix H: Acronyms and Abbreviations (96-100)