Remote acoustic classification of marine sediments with application to offshore Newfoundland

Abstract

Shallow marine sediments can be remotely classified by the spatial correlation properties of their seismic reflection signatures provided one uses a highly repetitive broadband acoustic source. A classification scheme defined by three spatial coherence parameters is shown capable of automatically differentiating between several formations of unconsolidated sediments in a limited area of offshore Newfoundland. The consistency and generality of the technique are explored and comparisons with standard echograrn interpretation are made.Les formations marines skdimentaires h faible profondeur peuvent &tre classifikes B distance par corrklation dans l'espace de propriCtCs Cmanant des profils de sismique rkflexion pourvu que l'on utilise une source sonore h large bande fidklement rkpktitive. Une classification mktrique dkfinie par trois parametres de cohCrence spatiale permet automatiquement de distinguer entre elles plusieurs formations de skdiments nonconsolidCs dans une rCgion d'ttendue IimitCe sur I'offshore de Terre-Neuve. L'uniformitC des rCsultats et l'application gCnkraliske de la technique sont Ctudikes et des comparisons sont faites avec llinterprCtation d'kchogrammes types.[Traduit par le journal]Can.

Acoustical facies analysis at the Ba Lat delta front (Red River Delta, North Vietnam)

“…Forsgren et al (1993) used the acoustic signal patterns of the echogram to differentiate between fine-and coarse-grained sediment bottoms according to four criteria: roughness of the line surface, line thickness, occurrence of white line and echo. Investigations by Clay and Leong (1974), Dunsinger et al (1981) and Cochrane and Dunsinger (1983) showed that inhomogenities in the sediment cause scattering of acoustic signals. They also showed that with increased roughness of the sediment surface the scattering component of the acoustic signals increased.…”