Abstract
Abstract As a result of the complex and variable nature of sea floor sedimentary environments and the problems associated with obtaining representative samples of sea floor materials, it has long been accepted that geophysical methods hold the greatest potential for rapid assessment of sea floor sediment physical property variability. This paper presents results of two experimental geophysical studies aimed at developing in situ sea floor sediment classification methodologies applicable to siliciclastic environments. At one of the two study sites, Irvine Bay in the Clyde Sea, an area of approximately 10 km2 was intensively surveyed using a boomer seismic profiler and digital data acquisition system. Three core samples recovered in the area were used to calibrate seabed reflection responses at spot locations, and once calibrated, the entire geophysical dataset was inverted to produce maps showing the spatial distribution of sediment physical properties (porosity, density and grain size distribution) at the seabed surface. Very good agreement was found between seismic predictions of sediment properties and physical measurements made on independent core and grab samples. Similar levels of agreement were found for seismo-acoustic predictions made after surveying a transect in the Southern Baltic Sea. On the basis of these experimental studies it appears that, with only limited ground truth information, it is possible to invert high-resolution seismic reflection data to produce quantitative information on the spatial distribution of sea floor sediment physical properties.
Published Version
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