Estimation of Compressional Wave Speed in Marine Sediments using Biot Stoll Model and Buckinghams Grain shearing Model

Abstract

Acoustic properties of seafloor sediments can be estimated using theoretical models by giving geophysical properties of sediments as inputs to the respective models. Empirical relations connecting the geophysical and geoacoustic properties are available in literature. In this study an experimental assessment of two such theoretical models viz., Biot-Stoll model (BSM), a poro-elastic model and the Buckingham’s grain shearing (GS) model, a visco-elastic model is done by estimating the compressional wave speed. Compressional wave speed is measured using in-house developed sediment velocimeter and is compared with the speed estimated using both the models and a regression analysis was done. It was observed that the Coefficient of determination R2 for BSM and GS model are 0.769 and 0.729, respectively. It shows that once the constants used in GS model are evaluated for the Indian waters, then it can be used to estimate the acoustic properties of sediments.