Acoustical Properties of Mud Sediments
Abstract : Goals include the development of models and methods that explain observed material and acoustic properties of different physical types of shallow-ocean mud sediments. Other goals are to assess prior data relating to the acoustic properties of mud and to provide guidance in the development and interpretation of experiments. A related goal is to construct models that will guide inversion techniques for inferring properties of mud sediments, for estimating accuracy of results, and for use in applications. These goals are science relevant to resolving long-term Naval problems of transmission loss and array response in shallow water over mud sediments and of acoustic detection, localization, and classification of objects buried in mud. Develop analytical fundamental-physics models for geoacoustic properties that show their dependence on mud parameters. Properties include material density, porosity, and compressional and shear sound speeds and attenuations, with focus on depth and frequency dependence. Estimate the accuracy of physical mud parameters that is required for acoustic data comparisons and for making predictions in applications. Use modeling results to provide methodologies for inversion methods in order to determine parameters and profiles in mud sediments.
Geoacoustic modeling for acoustic propagation in mud ocean-bottom sediments
This paper reviews research developed since 2007 at BU and RPI, with leadership by the late W.M. Carey, on acoustic properties of mud. Marine mud consists primarily of small clay mineral platelets, which are comprised of crystalline layers and usually carry charge because of isomorphous substitution. Because of resulting electrical forces, the physical nature of mud is considerably different from sand sediments. In particular, as platelets settle under gravity, electrical forces repel face-to-face contact while strong van der Waals forces permit edge-to-face attachment. This platelet aggregation results in card-house structures, for which a tentative quantitative model has been analyzed (J.O. Fayton, RPI Ph.D. thesis). The model preserves basic physics of platelet interactions and leads to low shear wave speed predictions that are consistent with observations. However, because compressional sound speed is independent of the electrostatic interactions, accurate sound speed estimates are available from the ...
Normal‐mode program with both the discrete and branch line contributions
In a stratified ocean model, in which the sound speed and density become constant as the depth coordinate becomes infinite, the pressure field can be represented as a finite sum of modes plus an integral superposition of modes. This later contribution is given by an integration around a branch cut. In this analysis the sound‐speed and density profiles are partitioned in layers such that in each layer the square of the index of refraction can be approximated by a straight line and the density by a constant. The profile is terminated in a high‐speed isovelocity half space. Using this profile, it is possible to express the depth‐dependent portion of the pressure field in terms of Airy functions. Evaluation of the modal and branch line contributions shows that the branch integral can contribute significantly to the pressure field over a range equal to at least one water depth and in some cases to many water depths.Subject Classification: 30.20, 30.25.