Methods and apparatus for taking spectroscopic measurements of sediment layers beneath a body of water

• US 5,604,582 A
• Filed: 02/27/1995
• Issued: 02/18/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Leidos, Inc. (Leidos Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Science Applications International Corporation
• Inventors: Anderson, Richard, Mooradian, Gregory, Coyle, Christopher, Ward, Roger, Rhoads, Donald C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Evans, F. L.
• Application Number:
  US08/395,515
• Time in Patent Office: 722 Days
• Field of Search: 356/73, 356/317, 356/318, 356/417, 356/418, 250/458.1, 250/459.1, 250/461.1, 348/81
• US Class Current: 356/73
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/2823 Imaging spectrometer
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/6419 Excitation at two or more wavelengths
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/6423 Spectral mapping, video display
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/31 Investigating relative effect of material at wavelengths characteristic of specific elements or molecules, e.g. atomic absorption spectrometry G01N21/72 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/6456 Spatial resolved fluorescence measurements; Imaging

Abstract

A spectrometer system includes a processing center, an underwater remote sensor and a communication link coupled therebetween. The sensor is deployed to at least partially penetrate a sediment layer disposed beneath a body of water. The sensor includes a window defining a sediment window plane through which a profile of the sediment layer is observable and a camera, an image plane of which is a conjugate of the window, the camera imaging light from objects in the sediment window plane to generate imagewise data, the imagewise data being transmitted over the communications link to the processing center. The sensor also includes at least one removable cell disposed in the sediment window plane, each removable cell being comprised of a transparent solid material having a void therein, the void in each removable cell for holding a standard material corresponding to the respective removable cell. The sensor further includes a camera filter device having at least one camera filter. Each camera filter is characterized as passing radiant energy within a corresponding emission band of camera wavelengths, the camera filter device being controllable to select a current camera filter. The sensor further includes an illumination source to produce radiant energy and an illumination filter device having at least one illumination filter. Each illumination filter is characterized as passing radiant energy within a corresponding illumination band of wavelengths. The sensor further includes a blocking filter device having at least one blocking filter, each blocking filter being synchronously coordinated with a corresponding illumination filter to block light in the illumination band from reaching the camera.

Claims

1. A spectrometer system comprising a processing center, an underwater remote sensor and a communications link coupled therebetween, the sensor at least partially penetrating a sediment layer disposed beneath a body of water, the sensor comprising:

a window defining a sediment window plane through which a profile of the sediment layer is observable; and

a CCD camera, an image plane of which is a conjugate of the window, the camera sensing light from objects in the sediment window plane as received at the camera to generate imagewise data for transmission over the communications link, the CCD camera being controllable by the processing center to generate the imagewise data so as to be formed with a selectable one of a plurality of resolutions.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the sensor further comprises at least one removable cell disposed in the sediment window plane, each removable cell being comprised of a transparent solid material having a void therein, the void in each removable cell for holding a standard material corresponding to the respective removable cell.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the sensor further includes a buffer unit to collect the imagewise data, the buffer unit being coupled to the transmission link.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the camera is responsive to radiant energy within a predetermined band of wavelengths, the predetermined band of wavelengths being wavelengths in a range between 350 and 600 nanometers.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the sediment window plane is characterized by an imageable area, the imageable area being at least as large as 300 square centimeters.

6. A spectrometer system comprising a processing center, an underwater remote sensor and a communications link coupled therebetween, the sensor at least partially penetrating a sediment layer disposed beneath a body of water, the sensor comprising:

a window defining a sediment window plane through which a profile of the sediment layer is observable; and

a camera, an image plane of which is a conjugate of the window, the camera sensing light from objects in the sediment window plane as received at the camera to generate imagewise data for transmission over the communications link, wherein the sensor further comprises at least one removable cell disposed in the sediment window plane, each removable cell being comprised of a transparent solid material having a void therein, the void in each removable cell for holding a standard material corresponding to the respective removable cell.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein a first removable cell includes a first standard material held in the void of the first removable cell, the first standard material comprising one of a sediment substantially free of contaminants and a sediment spiked with a known quantity of a known contaminant.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the first standard material subtends a portion of the sediment window plane.

9. A spectrometer system comprising a processing center, an underwater remote sensor and a communications link coupled therebetween, the sensor at least partially penetrating a sediment layer disposed beneath a body of water, the sensor comprising:

a window defining a sediment window plane through which a profile of the sediment layer is observable; and

a camera, an image plane of which is a conjugate of the window, the camera sensing light from objects in the sediment window plane as received at the camera to generate imagewise data for transmission over the communications link, wherein the sensor further includes a camera filter device, the camera filter device including a plurality of camera filters, each camera filter being characterized as passing radiant energy within a corresponding camera band of wavelengths, the plurality of camera filters including a current camera filter, the camera filter device being controllable by the processing center to position the current camera filter between the sediment window plane and the camera so that light from the sediment window plane passes through the current camera filter before reaching the camera.

10. A spectrometer system comprising a processing center, an underwater remote sensor and a communications link coupled therebetween, the sensor at least partially penetrating a sediment layer disposed beneath a body of water, the sensor comprising:

a window defining a sediment window plane through which a profile of the sediment layer is observable; and

a camera, an image plane of which is a conjugate of the window, the camera sensing light from objects in the sediment window plane as received at the camera to generate imagewise data for transmission over the communications link, wherein the sensor further comprises;

a camera filter device, the camera filter device including at least one camera filter, each camera filter being characterized as passing radiant energy within a corresponding camera band of wavelengths, the at least one camera filter including a current camera filter the camera filter device being controllable to position the current camera filter between the sediment window plane and the camera so that light from the sediment window plane passes through the current camera filter before reaching the camera;

an illumination source; and

at least one removable cell disposed in the sediment window plane, each removable cell being comprised of a transparent solid material having a void therein, the void in each removable cell for holding a standard material corresponding to the respective removable cell, a first removable cell including a sediment sample substantially free of contaminants held in the void of the first removable cell, the sediment layer and the sediment sample being illuminated by light from the illumination source, light from the sediment window plane including illuminated sediment layer light from the illuminated sediment layer and illuminated sediment sample light from the illuminated sediment sample, the imagewise data generated from light received at the camera after having been filtered by the current camera filter including sediment sample data corresponding to the sediment sample light.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein:

the at least one camera filter includes a red filter, a blue filter and a green filter; and

the filter device includes a mechanism to alternatively position the red filter as the current camera filter, the blue filter as the current camera filter and the green filter as the current camera filter.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the processing center includes circuitry to collect the imagewise data as red imagewise data when the red filter is the current camera filter, to collect the imagewise data as blue imagewise data when the blue filter is the current camera filter, to collect the imagewise data as green imagewise data when the green filter is the current camera filter, and to combine the red, blue and green imagewise data to produce color image data, the color image data being characterized by values representative of an intensity of light from the sediment window plane within a visible band of wavelengths, the color image data including sediment sample color data corresponding to the illuminated sediment sample light.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the color image data includes a plurality of color image pixels, the sediment sample color data includes at least one sediment sample pixel, and the circuitry of the processing center further includes:

means for determining from the sediment sample color data an average intensity value of the at least one sediment sample pixel;

means for deducting the average intensity value from each pixel of the plurality of color image pixels to produce normalized data; and

a display to display the normalized data.

14. A spectrometer system comprising a processing center, an underwater remote sensor and a communications link coupled therebetween, the sensor at least partially penetrating a sediment layer disposed beneath a body of water, the sensor comprising:

a window defining a sediment window plane through which a profile of the sediment layer is observable; and

a camera, an image plane of which is a conjugate of the window, the camera sensing light from objects in the sediment window plane as received at the camera to generate imagewise data for transmission over the communications link, wherein the sensor further includes;

an illumination source to produce radiant energy; and

an illumination filter device, the illumination filter device including at least one illumination filter, each illumination filter being characterized as passing radiant energy within a corresponding illumination band of wavelengths, the at least one illumination filter including a current illumination filter, the illumination filter device being controllable to position the current illumination filter in an optical path between the sediment window plane and the illumination source so that the sediment window plane is illuminated by the radiant energy from the illumination source after having been filtered by the current illumination filter.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the sensor further includes a camera filter device, the camera filter device including at least one camera filter, each camera filter being characterized as passing radiant energy within a corresponding camera band of wavelengths, the at least one camera filter including a current camera filter, the camera filter device being controllable to position the current camera filter in an optical path between the sediment window plane and the camera so that light from the sediment window plane passes through the current camera filter before reaching the camera.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the illumination source includes a mercury lamp.

17. A spectrometer system comprising a processing center, an underwater remote sensor and a communications link coupled therebetween, the sensor at least partially penetrating a sediment layer disposed beneath a body of water, the sensor comprising:

a window defining a sediment window plane through which a profile of the sediment layer is observable; and

a camera, an image plane of which is a conjugate of the window, the camera sensing light from objects in the sediment window plane as received at the camera to generate imagewise data for transmission over the communications link, wherein the sensor further includes;

an illumination source to produce radiant energy;

an illumination filter device, the illumination filter device including at least one illumination filter, each illumination filter being characterized as passing radiant energy within a corresponding illumination band of wavelengths, the at least one illumination filter including a current illumination filter, the illumination filter device being controllable to position the current illumination filter in an optical path between the sediment window plane and the illumination source so that the sediment window plane is illuminated by the radiant energy from the illumination source after having been filtered by the current illumination filter; and

a blocking filter device, the blocking filter device including at least one blocking filter, each blocking filter being characterized as blocking radiant energy within a corresponding blocking band of wavelengths, the at least one blocking filter including a current blocking filter, the blocking filter device being controllable to position the current blocking filter in an optical path between the sediment window plane and the camera so that light from the sediment window plane passes through the current blocking filter before reaching the camera, the blocking filter device being controlled to select the current blocking filter synchronously with the current illumination filter so that the radiant energy which passes through the current illumination filter is blocked from reaching the camera by the current blocking filter.

18. A spectrometer system comprising a processing center, an underwater remote sensor and a communications link coupled therebetween, the sensor at least partially penetrating a sediment layer disposed beneath a body of water, the sensor comprising;

a window defining a sediment window plane through which a profile of the sediment layer is observable; and

a camera, an image plane of which is a conjugate of the window, the camera sensing light from objects in the sediment window plane as received at the camera to generate imagewise data for transmission over the communications link, wherein the sensor further comprises a plurality of removable cells disposed in the sediment window plane, each removable cell being comprised of a transparent solid material having a void therein, the void in each removable cell for holding a standard material corresponding to the respective removable cell, the plurality of removable cells including a first removable cell and a second removable cell, the first removable cell holding a first standard sediment sample held in the void of the first removable cell, the second removable cell holding a second standard sediment sample held in the void of the second removable cell, the first standard sediment sample comprising a first known quantity of a known contaminant, the second standard sediment sample comprising a second known quantity of the known contaminant, the second quantity being greater than the first quantity.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the sensor further includes a camera filter device, the camera filter device including at least one camera filter, each camera filter being characterized as passing radiant energy within a corresponding camera band of wavelengths, the at least one camera filter including a current camera filter, the camera filter device being controllable to position the current camera filter between the sediment window plane and the camera so that light from the sediment window plane passes through the current camera filter before reaching the camera.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the sensor further includes:

an illumination source to produce radiant energy; and

an illumination filter device, the illumination filter device including at least one illumination filter, each illumination filter being characterized as passing radiant energy within a corresponding illumination band of wavelengths, the at least one illumination filter including a current illumination filter, the illumination filter device being controllable to position the current illumination filter in an optical path between the sediment window plane and the illumination source so that the sediment window plane is illuminated by the radiant energy from the illumination source after having been filtered by the current illumination filter.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the illumination filter device is controlled to select a first illumination filter as the current illumination filter, the first illumination filter is characterized as passing radiant energy within a first illumination band of the at least one illumination band, the camera filter device is controlled to select a first camera filter as the current camera filter, the first camera filter is characterized as passing radiant energy within a first camera band of the at least one camera band, at least a portion of the sediment layer and of the first and second standard sediment samples fluoresces to emit light from within the sediment window plane in response to radiant energy within the first illumination band, the first camera band is different than the first illumination band, light from the sediment window plane includes first sediment sample light from the illuminated first standard sediment sample and second sediment sample light from the illuminated second standard sediment sample, the imagewise data includes first and second sediment sample data corresponding to the first and second sediment sample light, and the processing center comprises:

means for determining a first standard intensity corresponding to the first quantity of the known contaminant from the first sediment sample data of the normalized data;

means for determining a second standard intensity corresponding to the second quantity of the known contaminant from the second sediment sample data of the normalized data;

means for displaying the normalized data;

means for determining a suspected contaminant intensity corresponding to a suspected contaminant area displayed within the displayed normalized data, the suspected contaminant area being defined by a user; and

means for determining an estimate of a quantity of the known contaminant contained in the suspected contaminant area from the suspected contaminant intensity and the first and second standard intensities.

22. A spectrometer system comprising a processing center, an underwater remote sensor and a communications link coupled therebetween, the sensor at least partially penetrating a sediment layer disposed beneath a body of water, the sensor comprising:

a window defining a sediment window plane through which a profile of the sediment layer is observable; and

a camera, an image plane of which is a conjugate of the window, the camera sensing light from objects in the sediment window plane as received at the camera to generate imagewise data for transmission over the communications link, wherein the sensor further comprises at least one removable cell disposed in the sediment window plane, each removable cell being comprised of a transparent solid material having a void therein, the void in each removable cell for holding a standard material corresponding to the respective removable cell, a first removable cell holding a sediment sample substantially free of contaminants in the void of the first removable cell.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the sensor further includes:

an illumination source to produce radiant energy; and

an illumination filter device, the illumination filter device including at least one illumination filter, each illumination filter being characterized as passing radiant energy within a corresponding illumination band of wavelengths, the at least one illumination filter including a current illumination filter, the illumination filter device being controllable to position the current illumination filter in an optical path between the sediment window plane and the illumination source so that the sediment window plane is illuminated by the radiant energy from the illumination source after having been filtered by the current illumination filter.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the sensor further includes a camera filter device, the camera filter device including at least one camera filter, each camera filter being characterized as passing radiant energy within a corresponding camera band of wavelengths, the at least one camera filter including a current camera filter, the camera filter device being controllable to position the current camera filter between the sediment window plane and the camera so that light from the sediment window plane passes through the current camera filter before reaching the camera.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the illumination filter device is controlled to select a first illumination filter as the current illumination filter, the first illumination filter is characterized as passing radiant energy within a first illumination band, at least a portion of the sediment layer and the sediment sample fluoresces to emit light from within the sediment window plane in response to radiant energy within the first illumination band, light from the sediment window plane includes sediment sample light from the illuminated sediment sample, the imagewise data includes sediment sample data corresponding to the sediment sample light, the at least one camera filter includes a plurality of camera filters and the processing center comprises:

repeater control to successively select a selected camera filter of the plurality of camera filters as the current camera filter, the imagewise data generated by the camera for each selected camera filter of the plurality of camera filters constituting a respective plurality of data sets; and

means for normalizing each data set of the plurality of data sets based on the sediment sample data to produce a plurality of normalized data sets.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein the plurality of normalized data sets includes a first normalized data set and at least one more normalized data set, the processing center further including:

a display to display the first normalized data set;

means for determining a first suspected contaminant intensity pertaining to a suspected contaminant area displayed within the displayed first normalized data set, the suspected contaminant area being defined by a user; and

means for determining at least one more suspected contaminant intensity pertaining to the suspected contaminant area in each of the respective at least one more normalized data set, the first suspected contaminant intensity and the at least one more suspected contaminant intensity constituting a plurality of suspected contaminant intensities, each intensity of the plurality of suspected contaminant intensities corresponding to a respective camera filter characterized by a corresponding filter band, the plurality of suspected contaminant intensities together with corresponding filter bands constituting a suspected contaminant spectrum.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein the processing center further comprises means for identifying a suspected contaminant from the suspected contaminant spectrum.

28. A spectrometer system comprising a processing center, an underwater remote sensor and a communications link coupled therebetween, the sensor at least partially penetrating a sediment layer disposed beneath a body of water, the sensor comprising:

a window defining a sediment window plane through which a profile of the sediment layer is observable; and

a camera, an image plane of which is a conjugate of the window, the camera sensing light from objects in the sediment window plane as received at the camera to generate imagewise data for transmission over the communications link, wherein;

the sediment layer defines at least one stratigraphic feature, the at least one stratigraphic feature including a first stratigraphic feature, the first stratigraphic feature subtending a stratigraphic feature area; and

the sediment window plane is characterized by an imageable area, the imageable area being larger than the stratigraphic feature area and being at least 300 square centimeters.

29. The system of claim 28, wherein the first stratigraphic feature includes a precipitate layer of negative buoyancy oil particles which precipitate out of the body of water onto the sediment layer.

30. A spectrometer system comprising a processing center, an underwater remote sensor and a communications link coupled therebetween, the sensor at least partially penetrating a sediment layer disposed beneath a body of water, the processing center controlling the sensor to collect color image data and processing the collected color image data to determine an apparent reduction/oxidation potential of a part of the sediment layer.

31. The system of claim 30, wherein the system determines the apparent reduction/oxidation potential between -200 millivolts and +200 millivolts.

32. A spectrometer system comprising a processing center, an underwater remote sensor and a communications link coupled therebetween, the sensor at least partially penetrating a sediment layer disposed beneath a body of water, the processing center controlling the sensor to collect data and processing the collected data to determine a spectrum of fluorescence of a compound contained in the sediment layer.

33. The system of claim 32, wherein the processing center further processes the collected data to identify a species of the compound.

34. A spectrometer system comprising a processing center, an underwater remote sensor and a communications link coupled therebetween, the sensor at least partially penetrating a sediment layer disposed beneath a body of water, the processing center controlling the sensor to collect data and processing the collected data to determine a concentration of a compound contained in the sediment layer.

35. The system of claim 34, wherein the processing center further processes the collected data to determine a spectrum of fluorescence of the compound.

36. The system of claim 35, wherein the processing center further processes the collected data to identify a species of the compound.

37. A spectrometer system comprising a processing center, an underwater remote sensor and a communications link coupled therebetween, the sensor at least partially penetrating a sediment layer disposed beneath a body of water, the processing center controlling the sensor to collect data and processing the collected data to identify a species of a compound contained in the sediment layer.

38. A spectrometer system comprising a processing center on a vessel without station-keeping equipment, an underwater remote sensor and a communications link coupled therebetween, the sensor having been deployed to at least partially penetrate a sediment layer disposed beneath a body of water, the processing center controlling the sensor to collect a plurality of sets of imagewise data within a data collection time period, a maximum available time period being defined as a time period beginning when data collection of a first set of imagewise data begins and ending when the sensor penetration into the sediment layer is disturbed due to drifting of the vessel, the data collection time period being less than the maximum available time period.

39. The system of claim 38, wherein the plurality of sets of imagewise data collected during the data collection time period includes nine data sets of imagewise data.

40. The system of claim 39, wherein the maximum available time period is 60 seconds.

41. The system of claim 39, wherein:

a first set of imagewise data is characterized by a first spatial resolution; and

a second set of imagewise data is characterized by a second spatial resolution, the first spatial resolution being greater than the second spatial resolution.

42. The system of claim 38, wherein:

a first set of imagewise data is characterized by a first spatial resolution; and

a second set of imagewise data is characterized by a second spatial resolution, the first spatial resolution being greater than the second spatial resolution.

43. The system of claim 38, wherein the maximum available time period is 60 seconds.

46. The method of claim 40, wherein the step of generating includes:

filtering light from the sediment window plane through a current camera filter of a camera filter device to provide the light received at the camera, the camera filter device having a plurality of camera filters, each camera filter passing light to the camera characterized as radiant energy within a corresponding camera band of a plurality of predetermined camera bands; and

disposing at least one removable cell in the sediment window plane, each removable cell being comprised of a transparent solid material having a void therein for holding a respective standard material, a first removable cell including a sediment sample substantially free of contaminants held in the void of the first removable cell, the sediment layer and the sediment sample being illuminated by light from an illumination source, light from the sediment window plane including illuminated sediment layer light from the illuminated sediment layer and illuminated sediment sample light from the illuminated sediment sample, the imagewise data generated from light passing through the current camera filter including sediment sample data corresponding to the sediment sample light.

44. The system of clam 43, wherein the plurality of sets of imagewise data collected during the data collection time period is processed by the processing center to determine characteristics of a compound contained in the sediment layer, the characteristics including at least one of a spectrum of fluorescence of the compound, an identity of a species of the compound and a concentration of the compound.

45. In a spectrometer system comprising a processing center, an underwater remote sensor and a communications link coupled therebetween, the sensor at least partially penetrating a sediment layer disposed beneath a body of water, the sensor including a window defining a sediment window plane through which a profile of the sediment layer is observable and a camera, an image plane of which is a conjugate of the window, the camera being capable of imaging light from objects in the sediment window plane, a method of analyzing the sediment layer comprising steps of:

illuminating the sediment layer;

generating imagewise data corresponding to light received at the camera from the sediment window plane;

controlling the step of generating so that the imagewise data is formed with a selectable one of a plurality of resolutions; and

processing and displaying the imagewise data on a display.

47. The method of claim 45, wherein:

the step of illuminating includes a first step of filtering light from an illumination source through an illumination filter device having at least one illumination filter to provide radiant energy within at least one corresponding illumination band of wavelengths, at least a portion of the sediment layer fluorescing to emit light from within the sediment window plane in response to radiant energy within a first illumination band; and

the step of generating includes a second step of filtering light from the sediment window plane through a camera filter device having at least one camera filter to pass light to the camera, the light passed to the camera being characterized as radiant energy within at least one corresponding camera band of wavelengths, a first camera band being different than the first illumination band.

48. The method of claim 45, wherein the step of illuminating includes filtering light from an illumination source to provide radiant energy within at least one predetermined illumination band of wavelengths.

49. In a spectrometer system comprising a processing center, an underwater remote sensor and a communications link coupled therebetween, the sensor at least partially penetrating a sediment layer disposed beneath a body of water, the sensor including a window defining a sediment window plane through which a profile of the sediment layer is observable and a camera, an image plane of which is a conjugate of the window, the camera being capable of imaging light from objects in the sediment window plane, a method of analyzing the sediment layer comprising steps of:

illuminating the sediment layer;

generating imagewise data corresponding to light received at the camera from the sediment window plane, the step of generating including a step of filtering light from the sediment window plane to provide light received at the camera the filtered light being characterized as radiant energy within at least one predetermined camera band of wavelengths; and

displaying the imagewise data on a display, wherein;

the step of filtering includes filtering light from the sediment window plane through a camera filter device to provide the light received at the camera, the camera filter device having at least one camera filter, each camera filter passing light to the camera characterized as radiant energy within a corresponding camera band of the at least one predetermined camera band; and

the step of generating further includes a step of disposing at least one removable cell in the sediment window plane, each removable cell being comprised of a transparent solid material having a void therein for holding a respective standard material, a first removable cell including a sediment sample substantially free of contaminants held in the void of the first removable cell, the sediment layer and the sediment sample being illuminated by light from an illumination source, light from the sediment window plane including illuminated sediment layer light from the illuminated sediment layer and illuminated sediment sample light from the illuminated sediment sample, imagewise data generated from light passing through a current camera filter of the at least one camera filter including sediment sample data corresponding to the sediment sample light.

50. The method of claim 49, further comprising a step of repeating the step of generating so as to affect a plurality of generating steps, the at least one camera filter including a plurality of camera filters, each generating step of the plurality of generating steps including a corresponding step of filtering, each corresponding step of filtering controlling the camera filter device to filter light from the sediment window plane through a respective camera filter of the plurality of camera filters.

51. The method of claim 50, wherein:

a first step of filtering of the repeated steps of filtering includes filtering light from the sediment window plane through a red band filter;

a second step of filtering of the repeated steps of filtering includes filtering light from the sediment window plane through a blue band filter; and

a third step of filtering of the repeated steps of filtering includes filtering light from the sediment window plane through a green band filter.

52. The method of claim 51, wherein the step of displaying includes steps of:

collecting red imagewise data while the first step of filtering filters light from the sediment window plane through the red band filter, the red image wig data being characterized by values representative of an intensity of light received at the camera through the red band filter;

collecting blue imagewise data while the second step of filtering filters light from the sediment window plane through the blue band filter, the blue imagewise data being characterized by values representative of an intensity of light received at the camera through the blue band filter;

collecting green imagewise data while the third step of filtering filters light from the sediment window plane through the green band filter, the green imagewise data being characterized by values representative of an intensity of light received at the camera through the green band filter; and

combining the red, blue and green imagewise data to produce color image data, the color image data being characterized by values representative of an intensity of light from the sediment window plane within a visible band of wavelengths, the color image data including sediment sample color data corresponding to the sediment sample light characterized as radiant energy within the visible band of wavelengths.

53. The method of claim 52, wherein the color image data includes a plurality of color image pixels, the sediment sample color data includes at least one sediment sample pixel, and the step of displaying includes:

determining from the sediment sample color data an average intensity value of the at least one sediment sample pixel;

deducting the average intensity value from each pixel of the plurality of color image pixels to produce normalized data; and

displaying the normalized data.

54. In a spectrometer system comprising a processing center, an underwater remote sensor and a communications link coupled therebetween, the sensor at least partially penetrating a sediment layer disposed beneath a body of water, the sensor including a window defining a sediment window plane through which a profile of the sediment layer is observable and a camera, an image plane of which is a conjugate of the window, the camera being capable of imaging light from objects in the sediment window plane, a method of analyzing the sediment layer comprising steps of:

illuminating the sediment layer, the step of illuminating including a first step of filtering light from an illumination source through an illumination filter device, the illumination filter device having at least one illumination filter to provide radiant energy within at least one corresponding illumination band of wavelengths, at least a portion of the sediment layer fluorescing to emit light from within the sediment Window plane in response to radiant energy within a first illumination band;

generating imagewise data corresponding to light received at the camera from the sediment window plane, the step of generating including a second step of filtering light from the sediment window plane through a camera filter device having at least one camera filter to pass light to the camera, the light passed to the camera being characterized as radiant energy within at least one corresponding camera band of wavelengths, a first camera band being different than the first illumination band; and

displaying the imagewise data on a display, wherein;

the step of illuminating includes controlling the illumination filter device to select a first illumination filter to pass radiant energy in the first illumination band;

the step of generating further includes a step of disposing a plurality of removable cells in the sediment window plane, each removable cell being comprised of a transparent solid material having a void therein for holding a respective standard material, a first removable cell including a first standard sediment sample held in the void of the first removable cell, the first standard sediment sample including a first known quantity of a known contaminant, a second removable cell including a second standard sediment sample held in the void of the second removable cell, the second standard sediment sample including a second known quantity of the known contaminant, the second quantity being greater than the first quantity, the first and second standard sediment samples being illuminated by the filtered light from the illumination source, light from the sediment window plane including first sediment sample light from the illuminated first standard sediment sample and second sediment sample light from the illuminated second standard sediment sample, the imagewise data including first and second sediment sample data corresponding to the first and second sediment sample light; and

the method further comprising a step of normalizing the imagewise data based on a sediment sample substantially free of contaminants to produce normalized data.

55. The method of claim 54, wherein the step of displaying includes steps of:

determining a first standard intensity corresponding to the first quantity of the known contaminant from the first sediment sample data of the normalized data;

determining a second standard intensity corresponding to the second quantity of the known contaminant from the second sediment sample data of the normalized data;

displaying the normalized data;

determining a suspected contaminant intensity corresponding to a suspected contaminant area displayed within the displayed normalized data, the suspected contaminant area being defined by a user; and

determining an estimate of a quantity of the known contaminant contained in the suspected contaminate area from the suspected contaminant intensity and the first and second standard intensities.

56. In a spectrometer system comprising a processing center, an underwater remote sensor and a communications link coupled therebetween, the sensor at least partially penetrating a sediment layer disposed beneath a body of water, the sensor including a window defining a sediment window plane through which a profile of the sediment layer is observable and a camera, an image plane of which is a conjugate of the window, the camera being capable of imaging light from objects in the sediment window plane, a method of analyzing the sediment layer comprising steps of:

illuminating the sediment layer, the step of illuminating including a first step of filtering light from an illumination source through an illumination filter device, the illumination filter device having at least one illumination filter to provide radiant energy within at least one corresponding illumination band of wavelengths, at least a portion of the sediment layer fluorescing to emit light from within the sediment window plane in response to radiant energy within a first illumination band;

generating imagewise data corresponding to light received at the camera from the sediment window plane, the step of generating including a second step of filtering light from the sediment window plane through a camera filter device to pass light to the camera, the camera filter device having at least one camera filter, the light passed to the camera being characterized as radiant energy within a first camera band of wavelengths corresponding to a respective camera filter, the first camera band being different than the first illumination band; and

displaying the imagewise data on a display, wherein;

the step of illuminating further includes controlling the illumination filter device to select a first illumination filter to pass radiant energy in the first illumination band;

the method further comprises a first step of repeating the step of generating so as to affect a first plurality of generating steps while the illumination filter device is controlled to select the first illumination filter, the at least one camera filter including a plurality of camera filters, each generating step of the first plurality of generating steps including a corresponding step of filtering, each corresponding step of filtering controlling the camera filter device to filter light from the sediment window plane through a respective camera filter of the plurality of camera filters;

the imagewise data generated by each generating step of the first plurality of generating steps constitutes a data set, the first plurality of generating steps generating a corresponding first plurality of data sets; and

the step of displaying includes normalizing each data set of the first plurality of data sets based on a sediment sample substantially free of contaminants to produce a first plurality of normalized data sets, each data set corresponding to light passed through a corresponding camera filter.

57. The method of claim 56, wherein the first plurality of normalized data sets includes a first normalized data set and at least one more normalized data set, the step of displaying further including steps of:

displaying the first normalized data set;

determining a first suspected contaminant intensity corresponding to a suspected contaminant area displayed within the displayed first normalized data set, the suspected contaminant area being defined by a user;

determining at least one more suspected contaminant intensity corresponding to the suspected contaminant area in each of the respective at least one more normalized data set, the first suspected contaminant intensity and the at least one more suspected contaminant intensity constituting a first plurality of suspected contaminant intensities, each intensity of the first plurality of suspected contaminant intensities corresponding to a respective camera filter characterized by a corresponding filter band, the first plurality of suspected contaminant intensities together with corresponding filter bands constituting a first suspected contaminant spectrum of the first illumination band.

58. The method of claim 57, further comprising a step of identifying a suspected contaminant corresponding to the first suspected contaminant spectrum.

59. The method of claim 57, wherein:

the step of illuminating further includes controlling the illumination filter device to select a second illumination filter to pass radiant energy in a second illumination band, at least a portion of the sediment layer fluorescing to emit light from within the sediment window plane in response to radiant energy in the second illumination band;

the method further comprises a second step of repeating the step of generating so as to affect a second plurality of generating steps while the illumination filter device is controlled to select the second illumination filter, each generating step of the second plurality of generating steps including a corresponding step of filtering, each corresponding step of filtering controlling the camera filter device to filter light from the sediment window plane through a respective camera filter of the plurality of camera filters;

the imagewise data generated by each generating step of the second plurality of generating steps constitutes a data set, the second plurality of generating steps generating a corresponding second plurality of data sets; and

the step of displaying further includes normalizing each data set of the second plurality of data sets based on the sediment sample to produce a second plurality of normalized data sets, each data set corresponding to light passed through a corresponding camera filter.

60. The method of claim 59, wherein the second plurality of normalized data sets includes a first normalized data set and at least one more normalized data set, the step of displaying further including a step of determining a second plurality of suspected contaminant intensities corresponding to the suspected contaminant area in each of the respective second plurality of normalized data sets, each intensity of the second plurality of suspected contaminant intensities corresponding to a respective camera filter characterized by a corresponding filter band, the second plurality of suspected contaminant intensities together with the corresponding filter bands constituting a second suspected contaminant spectrum of the second illumination band.

61. The method of claim 60, further comprising a step of identifying a suspected contaminant corresponding to the first and second suspected contaminant spectra.

62. In a spectrometer system comprising a processing center, an underwater remote sensor and a communications link coupled therebetween, the sensor at least partially penetrating a sediment layer disposed beneath a body of water, the sensor including a window defining a sediment window plane through which a profile of the sediment layer is observable and a camera, an image plane of which is a conjugate of the window, the camera being capable of imaging light from objects in the sediment window plane, a method of analyzing the sediment layer comprising steps of:

illuminating the sediment layer, the step of illuminating including a first step of filtering light from an illumination source through an illumination filter device, the illumination filter device having at least one illumination filter to provide radiant energy within at least one corresponding illumination band of wavelengths, at least a portion of the sediment layer fluorescing to emit light from within the sediment window plane in response to radiant energy within a first illumination band;

excluding radiant energy within the first illumination band from the camera;

generating imagewise data corresponding to light received at the camera from the sediment window plane, the step of generating including a second step of filtering light from the sediment window plane through a camera filter device, the camera filter device having at least one camera filter to pass light to the camera, the light passed to the camera being characterized as radiant energy within at least one corresponding camera band of wavelengths, a first camera band being different than the first illumination band; and

displaying the imagewise data on a display.

63. In a spectrometer system comprising a processing center, an underwater remote sensor and a communications link coupled therebetween, the sensor at least partially penetrating a sediment layer disposed beneath a body of water, the sensor including a window defining a sediment window plane through which a profile of the sediment layer is observable and a camera, an image plane of which is a conjugate of the window, the camera being capable of imaging light from objects in the sediment window plane, a method of analyzing the sediment layer comprising steps of:

illuminating the sediment layer, the step of illuminating including filtering light from an illumination source to provide radiant energy within at least one predetermined illumination band of wavelengths;

generating imagewise data corresponding to light received at the camera from the sediment window plane; and

displaying the imagewise data on a display, wherein the step of generating includes filtering light from the sediment window plane to block radiant energy within a first illumination band and to pass other light to the camera, the filtered light being characterized as radiant energy within at least one predetermined camera band of wavelengths.

64. In a spectrometer system comprising a processing center an underwater remote sensor and a communications link coupled therebetween, the sensor at least partially penetrating a sediment layer disposed beneath a body of water, the sensor including a window defining a sediment window plane through which a profile of the sediment layer is observable and a camera, an image plane of which is a conjugate of the window the camera being capable of imaging light from objects in the sediment window plane, a method of analyzing the sediment layer comprising steps of;

illuminating the sediment layer;

generating imagewise data corresponding to light received at the camera from the sediment window plane; and

displaying the imagewise data on a display, wherein the step of generating includes disposing at least one removable cell within the sediment window plane, each removable cell being comprised of a transparent solid material having a void therein for holding a respective standard material.

65. In a spectrometer system having a processing center and a communications link, an underwater remote sensor comprising:

a window defining a sediment window plane through which a profile of a sediment layer is observable; and

a CCD camera, an image plane of which is a conjugate of the window, the camera sensing light from the sediment window plane as received at the camera to generate imagewise data for transmission over the communications link, the sensor having been deployed to at least partially penetrate the sediment layer disposed beneath a body of water, the CCD camera being controllable by the processing center to generate the imagewise data so as to be formed with a selectable one of a plurality of resolutions.

66. In a spectrometer system having a processing center and a communications link, an underwater remote sensor comprising:

a window defining a sediment window plane through which a profile of a sediment layer is observable; and

a camera, an image plane of which is a conjugate of the window, the camera sensing light from the sediment window plane as received at the camera to generate imagewise data for transmission over the communications link, the sensor having been deployed to at least partially penetrate the sediment layer disposed beneath a body of water, wherein the sensor further comprises at least one removable cell disposed in the sediment window plane, each removable cell being comprised of a transparent solid material having a void therein, the void in each removable cell for holding a standard material corresponding to the respective removable cell.

67. In a spectrometer system having a processing center and a communications link, an underwater remote sensor comprising:

a window defining a sediment window plane through which a profile of a sediment layer is observable; and

a camera, an image plane of which is a conjugate of the window, the camera sensing light from the sediment window plane as received at the camera to generate imagewise data for transmission over the communications link, the sensor having been. deployed to at least partially penetrate the sediment layer disposed beneath a body of water, wherein the sensor further includes a camera filter device, the camera filter device including a plurality of camera filters, each camera filter being characterized as passing radiant energy within a corresponding camera band of wavelengths, the plurality of camera filters including a current camera filter, the camera filter device being controllable by the processing center to position the current camera filter between the sediment window plane and the camera so that light from the sediment window plane passes through the current camera filter before reaching the camera.

68. In a spectrometer system having a processing center and a communications link, an underwater remote sensor comprising:

a window defining a sediment window plane through which a profile of a sediment layer is observable; and

a camera, an image plane of which is a conjugate of the window, the camera sensing light from the sediment window plane as received at the camera to generate imagewise data for transmission over the communications link, the sensor having been deployed to at least partially penetrate the sediment layer disposed beneath a body of water, wherein the sensor further includes;

an illumination source to produce radiant energy; and

an illumination filter device, the illumination filter device including at least one illumination filter, each illumination filter being characterized as passing radiant energy within a corresponding illumination band of wavelengths, the at least one illumination filter including a current illumination filter, the illumination filter device being controllable to position the current illumination filter in an optical path between the sediment window plane and the illumination source so that the sediment window plane is illuminated by the radiant energy from the illumination source after having been filtered by the current illumination filter.