I used to work as a contractor for a dredging company... The company was paid for the amount of material removed from the seafloor.
When we did the pre dredge survey, we used one method, which was valid but also showed a slightly higher volume of silt... By taking an average of the "first returns" from the sonar, where the sonar results took the highest elevation results... This was "to remove margins of error"
After the dredge was complete, we surveyed using the "last returns" which showed an average of the deepest sonar points... Again, perfectly valid method.
At the end of the job, we knew we would be paid for the maximum potential volume of silt removed... Nothing illegal, nothing suspicious and perfectly valid if it ever came to court...
... Any form of data collection and calculation can be skewed towards achieving the most ideal results by perfectly legitimate means...
I used to work as a contractor for a dredging company... The company was paid for the amount of material removed from the seafloor.
When we did the pre dredge survey, we used one method, which was valid but also showed a slightly higher volume of silt... By taking an average of the "first returns" from the sonar, where the sonar results took the highest elevation results... This was "to remove margins of error"
After the dredge was complete, we surveyed using the "last returns" which showed an average of the deepest sonar points... Again, perfectly valid method.
At the end of the job, we knew we would be paid for the maximum potential volume of silt removed... Nothing illegal, nothing suspicious and perfectly valid if it ever came to court...
... Any form of data collection and calculation can be skewed towards achieving the most ideal results by perfectly legitimate means...