Correlation between estuarine sea floor acoustic reflection signatures and engineering sediment measurements

Abstract

A recently developed technique is investigated for the analysis of sea floor acoustic reflection data. The technique uses Empirical Orthonormal Functions (EOF’s) to analyze the entire acoustic echo from the sea floor. In previous work [Milligan et al., J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 64, 795–807(1978)], the technique was used to ’’cluster’’ areas of similar acoustic behavior. This paper explores the relationship between the acoustic behavior of a sea floor sediment and classical engineering measurements. To achieve the objective, an experiment was configured so as to obtain acoustic reflection data and sediment measurements at the same spot on the sea floor. The results of this analysis showed that significant correlation exists between the acoustic waveform and certain measured sediment properties, and that an acoustic sediment classification scheme can be implemented.

Remote acoustic classification of marine sediments with application to offshore Newfoundland

“…These studies as well as the one to be reported used the Huntec deep tow seismic (DTS) system, consisting of a 400 J boomer that emits a broadband pulse of useful frequency range (1-12 kHz). The earlier studies of Dunsiger and MacIsaac and Parrott et al and the promising independent studies by Milligan et al (1978) and LeBlanc et al (1980) do not utilize the explicit frequency resolution possible with a broadband source.…”