Acoustic exploration of ocean floor properties based on the ringing of sediment layer resonances

Abstract

It has recently been shown that the physical properties of a layered ocean floor may, in principle, be determined from an analysis of the resonances in frequency, or in the angle of incidence, which appear in bottom-reflected acoustic signals. The authors demonstrate how, using sinusoidal signals of long but finite duration, individual resonances can be selectively excited and analysed. Multiple-bounce layer resonances interfere destructively with the specular echo and manifest themselves through a characteristic ringing.