Abstract
This paper presents in situ measurements of sediment sound speed and attenuation collected in the New England Mud Patch using the Acoustic Coring System (ACS) with comparisons to sound speed measurements from a multi-sensor core logger (MSCL). The ACS uses rod-mounted piezoelectric cylinders mounted below the penetrating tip of a gravity corer to obtain a continuous record of sound speed as a function of depth as the corer penetrates the seabed. The MSCL measurements of the recovered sediment cores were acquired in 2 cm increments. In both the ASC and MSCL measurements, an elevated sound speed is observed in the upper 25 cm of the seabed which is the portion of the seabed where most infauna live. The sediments collected in the cores were analyzed for density, porosity, bulk organic matter, carbonate content, mineral composition, and grain size. Additional surficial sediment samples recovered using a box core and a multi-core were sieved for infauna collection. The organisms were preserved, identified, and classified according to acoustically relevant traits. The acoustic measurements are interpreted in terms of the physical measurements of cores and the abundance of different types of organisms present in the seabed. [Work supported by ONR.]
Published Version
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