SONAR Full Form- Sound Navigation and Ranging

What is SONAR? The full form of SONAR is Sound Navigation and Ranging. A technology called Sound Navigation and Ranging (SONAR) uses sound waves to navigate; it may also be used to identify and interact with objects that are far away. Submarine communication and route planning are only two of the many underwater applications for SONAR. Leonardo da Vinci was the first person to apply the SONAR idea when he submerged a tube in the water in 1490 to listen for the sounds made by other boats. The transducer produces and transmits a sound wave. The sensor picks up sound waves that bounce off of an item and records them. It then analyzes the recorded data to extract the needed information.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of SONAR?

Advantages:

• It is the sole method for successfully locating and identifying items in the water. It is also employed to ascertain the water's depth.
• It is employed in a variety of water-based pursuits. This is because, in contrast to radar and light waves, the sound waves employed by SONAR do not significantly weaken in seawater.
• The technology is really precise. It delivers near accurate results. 
• It's not overly pricey.

Disadvantages: 

• Animals such as seals, whales, dolphins, sea lions, and turtles are harmed by the waves released by SONAR. Thus, it puts marine life in danger.
• The amount of noise produced by SONAR systems varies with the sound levels produced by the system.
• Sound velocity differences across depth have an impact on the acoustic waves employed in SONAR. This generates a refraction of sonic energy. In addition, the water serves as a lossy medium for sound waves. In order to make up for the losses, this calls for the employment of high-altitude sound waves, which puts both marine life and humans in danger (such as divers and the military).