Converting bottom loss measured from a rough-layered sediment tothe equivalent `flat-bottom' loss

A correction factor is derived that can be applied to the measured data to convert it from rough surface loss to the equivalent loss if the interfaces had been smooth. With this correction, the data can be made to conform to the assumptions of the model, which should lead the inversion process to a better fitting set of parameters. Two examples of this application are shown in thin sediments in which the correction gave improved model/data correlations and lower squared errors. The choice of a random Gaussian characterization restricts the use of this correction to Damuth Provinces II and III, where the stochastic nature of the roughness is evident     

Broad-band bottom forward loss and backscattering off San Diego

Broad-band forward loss and backscattering measurements were made at low to moderate grazing angles in shallow water off San Diego using pulses extending from 1 to 6 kHz in bandwidth. For forward bounce measurements, these large bandwidths achieved time resolutions as small as 0.25 ms, and revealed fine-scale subbottom layering with separations down to approximately 50 cm. The forward loss values show large fluctuations (>10 dB) over translation distances of 20-50 m in some cases or between two measurement runs separated by a few hundred meters in other cases. This observation, along with associated variations in the extent and number of subbottom arrivals, indicates a distinct patchiness in surficial sediment type. Previous measurements made in nearby locales also evidenced strong variations in bottom loss, but lacked the spatial resolution to discern interface reflections from subbottom contributions. Broad-band backscattering strength measured at 20-40° grazing was quite homogeneous over the entire region, probably because the critical angle is below 20°, as inferred from forward loss measurements. Theory suggests that scattering at angles above critical is from subbottom inhomogeneities rather than boundary roughness. The grazing angle and frequency dependence of these backscattering data are relatively weak     

Trapped bottom topographic waves over the inclined bottom

In the Boussinesq approximation, we study baroclinic topographic waves trapped by the flat meridional slope. The existence of these waves is explained by stratification, inclined bottom, and Earth's rotation. We deduce the evolutionary equation for the square of the envelope of a narrow-band wave packet of trapped waves. In the second order of smallness relative to the wave amplitude, we find the mean fields of velocity and density induced by the packet. It is shown that, in the limiting case of weakly nonlinear plane waves, the induced current is zonal. In the Northern hemisphere, depending on the slope of the bottom γ₁, the sign of the phase velocity σ/k (k is the zonal wave number) is either always positive (for γ₁>γ_1cr) or always negative (for γ₁<γ_1cr). If we neglect the vertical component of the Coriolis acceleration, then γ_1cr=0. Translated by Peter V. Malyshev and Dmitry V. Malyshev     

Acoustic inversion of bottom reflectivity and bottom sound-speedprofile

This paper applies a full-field technique to invert bottom sound profile and bottom reflectivity from simulated acoustic data in a shallow water environment. Bottom sound-speed profile and bottom reflectivity have been traditionally estimated using seismic reflection/refraction techniques when acoustic ray paths and travel time can be identified and measured from the data. However, in shallow water, the many multipaths due to bottom reflection/refraction make such identification and measurement rather difficult. A full-field inversion technique is presented here that uses a broad-band source and a vertical array for bottom sound-speed and reflectivity inversion. The technique is a modified matched field inversion technique referred to as matched beam processing. Matched beam processing uses conventional beamforming processing to transform the field data into the beam domain and correlate that with the replica field also in the beam domain. This allows the analysis to track the acoustic field as a function of incident/reflected angle and minimize contamination or mismatch due to sidelobe leakage     

Coupling of ocean bottom seismometers to soft bottom

Unlike response of seismometers resting on hard rock where the seismometer case moves with the rock to high frequencies, the response of ocean bottom seismometers (OBS) can be strongly affected by the low mechanical strength of ocean sediments. The motion as measured by the seismometer will not follow the expected relationships between pressure and particle motion for different wave types. Cross coupling between horizontal and vertical motions can occur, especially when there is differential motion between water and sediment. Resonant amplification and attenuation of higher frequencies also occur. Secondary seismic arrivals are especially subject to distortion. Overall response is strongly dependent upon the mass and configuration of the OBS and the rigidity and density of the bottom material. Tests at Lopez Island, Puget Sound using both directly applied mechanical transients and seismic signals with various instrument configurations demonstrate the above effects and provide some guidance for improved designs.Hawaii Institute of Geophysics Contribution No. 1172.     

Ocean bottom seismograph

The ocean bottom seismograph described in this paper has been developed primarily for recording earthquakes on the mid-oceanic ridges. The instrument is suitable for dropping onto the most rugged areas of the ocean floor. Acoustic tracking with the ship's precision echo sounder enables it to be located there relative to both the topography of the sea bed and the ship. The outputs of a 3-component seismometer and a hydrophone are recorded in FM form on a low-power magnetic tape recorder designed specifically for the instrument.     

Low-frequency acoustic wave-scattering phenomena under ice cover

Studies on low-frequency acoustic wave-scattering phenomena due to under-ice roughness made by utilizing a rough, thin-ice plate model are presented. The model naturally divides the reflected field solution into specular and off-specular components. The model for specular components can give an excellent propagation loss prediction if the combined effects of under-ice roughness scattering, ice absorptions, and ice thickness are taken into account. The model for scattered or off-specular components is evaluated for a point source and point receiver geometry to study various spreading phenomena     

Low-frequency, bottom-interacting pulse propagation inrange-dependent oceans

An asymptotic-numerical model for low-frequency, bottom-interfacing pulse propagation in the ocean is derived. This model, referred to as the progressive wave equation (PWE), works in the time domain using an approach analogous to the parabolic equation method that is commonly used in the frequency domain. The mode handles depth and range variations in the speed of sound, density, and attenuation. The attenuation is assumed to depend linearly on frequency in the sediment. A numerical solution for the PWE was derived, and the accuracy of the asymptotics, numerics, and starting field was demonstrated with a benchmark     

Turbid bottom water layer and bottom sediment in the Seto Inland Sea

Measurement of the vertical distribution of total suspended matter (TSM) was carried out during summer throughout the Seto Inland Sea. TSM concentration near the bottom is influenced significantly by water movement and turbid bottom water is observed in all areas where median grain size (Md) of the bottom sediment is more than 47gf. The high concentration of TSM near the bottom may be due to resuspension of the surface layer of bottom sediments. Comparison of the organic content of the resuspended matter with that of the bottom sediment shows that the resuspended matter contains more organic matter with a lower C : N ratio than the bottom sediment. The C : N ratio of the resuspended matter is similar to that of TSM in the surface layer of the water column. It is thought that TSM in surface waters sinks and settles on the surface of the bottom sediment. This deposited material is then easily resuspended in the water column by tidal currents before becoming permanently incorporated into the bottom sediment.     

Shallow-water bottom reverberation measurements

High-frequency bottom reverberation measurements were made at an experimental site in the Gulf of Mexico. The acoustic data were taken as a function of frequency (40-180 kHz) and grazing angle (40-33°). The measured acoustic reverberation results are compared to predictions made by models developed by Jackson et al. (1986, 1996) and Boyle and Chotiros (1995). The models used inputs from the analysis of sediment cores and stereophotography. The model predictions show differences from each other and from the data. The results show reverberation-level variabilities as a function of frequency that cannot be accurately predicted by these models     

Low-frequency ambient-noise measurements in the South Fiji basin

The effect of wind speed on ambient noise has been measured in an experiment carried out in the South Fiji basin. The noise data in the band 15-250 Hz are well correlated with the variations in the local wind speed. The relationship between noise level N and wind speed ν is expressed by N=B+20n log ν. The constants B and n have been estimated by fitting the data using this model. The analysis indicates that there are two types of behavior: for ν>15 kn, a value of n=1.5 is obtained for the entire band, whereas for ν<15 kn, there is no correlation with wind speed observed in the data. The results suggest that there is a delay of 40-120 min for the effect of wind on the hydrophone noise level     

半潜式平台垂向运动低频响应特性

对半潜式平台垂向运动性能(包括垂荡、横摇和纵摇)进行数值计算分析。与模型试验结果的比较表明,对于半潜式平台这类由柱体组成的结构物进行水动力数值预报,忽略粘性力作用会使得低频运动响应计算结果产生偏差,需要应用三维势流理论和Morison公式相结合的方法。横摇和纵摇运动固有频率均低于波浪频率,在波浪慢漂力作用下会出现显著低频运动响应。垂荡运动是否出现低频响应则与所处海况联系紧密。     

Reverberation-derived shallow-water bottom scattering strength

Determinations of acoustic scattering strength for sand bottoms have been made at several different shallow-water areas under downward refracting sound propagation conditions in the frequency decade below 1 kHz. The measurements have been made using explosive sources detonated at mid-water depth and bottom-mounted vertical and horizontal hydrophone line arrays as receivers. The ubiquitous presence of multipaths in shallow water prevents a direct-path scattering geometry, and scattering strength must be extracted from the full reverberation field, which complicates the determination of bottom grazing angle dependence of scattering. The major focus of this paper has been the variation of scattering strength with frequency (integrated over participating bottom angles), though estimates of the angular dependence of scattering strength have been made using the vertical receiving array. Typically the integrated scattering strength for sand bottoms reported (and elsewhere) are found to decrease below 1 kHz and in some instances to exhibit a minimum in the several hundred hertz range. Sand bottom scattering strengths below 1 kHz are significantly lower than those predicted by the Mackenzie formula and the limited angular dependence determinations have been found to be consistent with Lambert's law     

Low-frequency sound interaction with a sloping, refracting oceanbottom

The effects of refracting sediments on low-frequency sound propagation in range-dependent oceans are studied with parabolic equation models. The predictions of three sediment sound-speed models for low-frequency propagation are compared. Two factors that result in sediment sound-speed gradients are considered. Variation in static pressure due to the variation in the weight of overlying material causes sediment sound speed to increase with depth. The thermodynamic influence of the ocean results in large sound-speed gradients in a boundary layer in the uppermost layer of the sediment. The associated affects of attenuation on propagation are also considered. Both time-domain and frequency-domain results are presented     

热带太平洋海平面低频变化

本文选取ECMWF ORAS4再分析数据对1959-2015年热带太平洋海平面的低频变化进行了分析。热带太平洋海平面年际变化第一模态反映了ENSO爆发阶段的海平面变化,热带东、西太平洋变化反相,其时间序列与Niño3.4指数高度相关。海平面第二模态则体现了El Niño爆发前后热带太平洋暖水的输运过程。El Niño爆发前热带西太平洋暖水聚集的位置,以及爆发后暖水向赤道外输运的位置在两类El Niño事件中均有所不同。此外,ENSO的周期在近半个世纪发生了显著的年代际变化,这一变化与热带太平洋的年代际变化有关。热带太平洋的年代际变化对海平面趋势变化也有着显著的影响。卫星高度计观测到的近20年海平面的快速上升（下降）正是由20世纪90年代后热带太平洋频繁的位相转换引起的。     

Fidelity of ocean bottom seismic observations

The often poor quality of ocean bottom seismic data, particularly that observed on horizontal seismometers, is shown to be the result of instruments responding to motions in ways not intended. Instruments designed to obtain the particle motion of the ocean bottom are found to also respond to motions of the water. The shear discontinuity across the ocean floor boundary results in torques that cause package rotation, rather than rectilinear motion, in response to horizontal ground or water motion. The problems are exacerbated by bottom currents and soft sediments. The theory and data presented in this paper suggest that the only reliable way of obtaining high fidelity particle motion data from the ocean floor is to bury the sensors below the bottom in a package with density close to that of the sediment. Long period signals couple well to ocean bottom seismometers, but torques generated by bottom currents can cause noise at both long and short periods. The predicted effects are illustrated using parameters appropriate for the operational OBS developed for the U. S. Office of Naval Research. Examples of data from ocean bottom and buried sensors are also presented.