A system and a method of detection and delineation of an object that is at least partly buried in seabed

A system for detection and delineation of an object that is at least partly buried in seabed, the system comprising:

• an Autonomous Underwater Vehicle, AUV, having a hull;
• a controlled electric dipole source mounted on the hull of the AUV;
• a first receiver electrode pair comprising vertical receiver electrodes mounted on the AUV, the vertical receiver electrodes separated from one another in a vertical direction of the hull of the AUV,
• a 3-axes magnetometer assembly mounted in the hull of the AUV, wherein the receiver pair is configured to measure electric field and the 3-axes magnetometer assembly is configured to measure magnetic field;
• a second receiver pair comprises inline receiver electrodes mounted on the hull of the AUV, the inline receiver electrodes are separated from one another in a longitudinal direction of the AUV;
• and
• a third receiver pair comprises crossline receiver electrodes mounted on the hull of the AUV, the crossline receiver electrodes are separated from one another in a crossline direction of the AUV,
• wherein the second and the third receiver pairs are configured to measure electric field.

A method of detection and delineation of an object that is at least partly buried in seabed, the method comprising steps of:

• transmitting electromagnetic energy from a controlled electric dipole source mounted on a hull of an Autonomous Underwater Vehicle, AUV;
• arranging a first receiver electrode pair comprising vertical receiver electrodes mounted on the hull of the AUV, the vertical receiver electrodes separated from one another in a vertical direction of the AUV;
• arranging a second receiver pair comprising inline receiver electrodes mounted on the hull of the AUV, the inline receiver electrodes separated from one another in a longitudinal direction of the AUV;
• arranging a third receiver pair comprising crossline receiver electrodes mounted on the hull of the AUV, the crossline receiver electrodes separated from one another in the crossline direction of the AUV;
• measuring electric field with the first receiver electrode pair, the second receiver pair, and the third receiver pair mounted on the hull of the AUV;
• measuring magnetic field with at least one 3-axes magnetometer assembly mounted in the hull of the AUV;
• and
• processing measured data with a processor located onboard of the AUV, the processor adapted to increasing sensitivity of the measured data by using a Synthetic Aperture method.