Kongsberg Multibeam Echosounder EM 124 Helps with Finding Deepest Point in Atlantic (Puerto Rico Trench)

Utilized for precision mapping, the EM 124 produced sea floor bathymetry to map the Puerto Rico Trench for the unprecedented dive.

Kongsberg Maritime has announced that the EM 124 sonar, installed aboard the DSSV Pressure Drop, played a key role in the deepest solo human submersible dive completed by the Five Deeps Expedition. Expedition founder and submersible pilot, Victor Vescovo, reached the bottom (depth of 8,376 metres) of the Puerto Rico Trench in his private submersible, the Limiting Factor, following precision mapping of the ocean floor completed by the EM 124.

The Kongsberg EM 124, released in 2018, is the fifth generation multibeam system from Kongsberg Maritime and the successor of the EM 122. It is a modular multibeam echosounder that performs high-resolution seabed mapping from shallow waters to full ocean depths (11,000m) with unparalleled swath coverage and resolution. It has a broad range of functionality, including the simultaneous collection of seabed and water column imagery. This capability saves time and increases efficiency during the planning, execution and analysis phase of a mission. The low-noise electronics are compact and flexible in design for easy installation and integration into a vessel of any size.

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