Sea Floor Sensing of Sediment Shear Wave Properties

Knowledge of sediment geoacoustic properties is of fundamental importance to marine environmental end engineering applications. For instance, geoacoustic approaches are currently being applied to predictions of marine slope stability, evaluation of the consolidation behaviour and strength of marine foundations, studies of mine burial, assessment of contaminant distribution, and prediction of high frequency acoustic bottom scattering. Within the engineering community the geophysical parameter currently receiving most attention is the seismic shear wave velocity, this being recognised as a definitive soil property indicative of the structural stiffness of the material. Out of this has arisen a requirement for new methods for in-situ evaluation.