Method to locate fiber optic cable on the sea floor in a transition zone

A method for determining a position of a fiber optic cable in a transition zone and imaging the transition zone, comprising:

• traversing a vibration source in the transition zone that contains a buried fiber optic cable;
• recording a position of the source during the traversing of the source of the area in the transition zone;
• sending a signal from the source into an aqueous environment while simultaneously recording a start time for the sending of the signal;
• determining an aqueous depth of a sea floor at the same time of sending the signal from the source into the aqueous environment;
• receiving the signal from the source into the fiber optic cable;
• transmitting the signal through the fiber optic cable to a recording station;
• recording the signal at the recording station while also identifying a recording time;
• continuing steps of recording the position of the source, sending a signal from the source into the aqueous environment, determining the aqueous depth of the sea floor, receiving the signal, transmitting the signal, and recording the signal at the recording station while also identifying the recording time;
• computing a time of flight for each signal transmitted from the source;
• identifying a minimum value for the times of flight computed;
• identifying the position for the time of flight corresponding to the minimum value as the position for the fiber optic cable;
• and
• using the aqueous depth, identifying a soil profile, and a depth for burial for the buried fiber optic cable.

A method for determining a temperature and depth relationship in a transition zone, comprising:

• traversing a source in the transition zone that contains a fiber optic cable while simultaneously recording a position of the source;
• generating a signal from the source into an aqueous environment while simultaneously recording a start time for the generation of the signal as well as using a depth finder to determine an aqueous depth;
• receiving the signal from the source into the cable;
• transmitting the signal to a recording station;
• recording the signal and a recording time at the recording station;
• continuing steps of;
• traversing, generating, receiving, transmitting, and recording for differing signals generated;
• computing a time of flight for each signal transmitted from the source;
• determining a minimum time of flight for all of the signals;
• determining individual sectional times of flight for the time of flight for the pathway of the signal traversing from the source to the recording station;
• and
• matching the sectional time of flight for the aqueous environment to a defined temperature profile to determine the temperature of the aqueous environment and location of the receiver.