Echo sounding is a type of sonar used to determine the depth of water by transmitting acoustic waves into water. ... Echo sounding can also refer to hydroacoustic "echo sounders" defined as active sound in water (sonar) used to study fish.

How are echoes and sonar related?

An echo is the reflection of sound waves off of some distant object. If you shout in a canyon, the sound waves travel through the air, bounce off the rocky walls and then come back to you. Sonar (SO-nahr) is the most similar to this scenario. This technology also relies on sound waves to detect objects.

What type of sound waves does sonar use?

SONAR may use two types of sound waves depending upon their use, InfraSonics and UltraSonics. The term infrasonic and ultrasonic is used for sound waves alone rather than electromagnetic or any other kind of wave, and both differ based on their frequency.