Acoustic Observation of the Time Dependence of the Roughness of Sandy Seafloors

A statistical model for the time evolution of seafloor roughness due to biological activity is applied to photographic and acoustic data. In this model, the function describing small scale seafloor topography obeys a time-evolution equation with a random forcing term that creates roughness and a diffusion term that degrades roughness. When compared to acoustic data from the 1999 and 2004 Sediment Acoustics Experiments (SAX99 and SAX04), the model yields diffusivities in the range from 3.5$,times {hbox {10}} ^{-11}$ to 2.5 $,times {hbox {10}} ^{-10}~{hbox {m}}^{2} {hbox {s}} ^{-1}$ (from 10 to 80 cm$^{2} {hbox {yr}}^{-1}$), with the larger values occurring at sites where bottom-feeding fish were active. While the experimental results lend support to the model, a more focused experimental and simulation effort is required to test several assumptions intrinsic to the model.      

Measurement of Low-Frequency Sound Attenuation in Marine Sediment

Marine sediment compressional wave attenuation and its frequency dependence have been active topics in the ocean acoustics community. To support the predictions of the frequency dependence of the sediment attenuation, experimental studies are essential for providing the observations of the sediment attenuation as a function of frequency in different environments, such as sediment type, source–receiver range, water depth, etc. This paper proposes an experimental method for estimating marine sediment attenuation at low frequencies in shallow water. The experimental geometry is short range between a vertical line array and multiple source depths to cover bottom reflections over a wide span of grazing angles. Single bounce bottom-reflected (BR) and sub-bottom-reflected signals are used in the analysis to obtain the best approximation of the sediment intrinsic attenuation. The attenuation estimating method is demonstrated on chirp data (1.5–4.5 kHz) collected on the New Jersey Continental Shelf during the 2006 Shallow Water Experiment (SW06). The data indicate a linear frequency dependence of the compressional wave attenuation for clay rich sediments on the outer shelf, and the estimated value is 0.15 dB/ $lambda$ within the frequency band of 1.75–3.15 kHz. The observation of small sound-speed dispersion of $sim$15 m/s over the frequency band is consistent with a linear frequency dependence of attenuation.      

Evaluation of Laser Scanning and Stereo Photography Roughness Measurement Systems Using a Realistic Model Seabed Surface

The topography of the seabed is influenced by sediment transport due to wave motion, current disturbance, and biological activities. The bottom roughness generated by these processes can substantially alter acoustic wave penetration into and scattering from the bottom, and therefore, it is essential to make accurate measurements of the bottom roughness for such acoustic applications. Methods to make direct measurements of bottom roughness include stereo photography, laser line scanning, and sediment conductivity. Roughness can also be measured indirectly using high-frequency sound backscatter. For optically-based methods, the accuracy of these measurements is typically evaluated using the elevations, lengths, or diameters of simple surface features of known dimensions. However, for acoustic applications, the statistical characteristics of the surface, e.g., the roughness spectrum, are more meaningful. In this paper, we present a fabricated rough surface milled into a 40 $,times ,$60 cm $^{2}$ plastic block for use as a benchmark in the assessment of two in situ roughness measurement systems: a laser scanning system and a digital stereo photography system. The surface has a realistic roughness power spectrum that is derived from the bottom roughness measured during the 1999 Sediment Acoustics Experiment (SAX99) and was fabricated by a computer numerical controlled milling machine. By comparing the fabricated surface spectrum to the measured spectrum, a determination of the accuracy of the roughness measurement is evaluated, which is of direct relevance to acoustic applications.      

Attenuation Measurements Across Surface-Ship Wakes and Computed Bubble Distributions and Void Fractions

A surface ship's wake is composed of several hydrodynamic phenomena. A large part of that wake contains a mixture of air bubbles of various sizes in turbulent water. Eventually, as the wake ages, the turbulence subsides and bubbles begin to rise at rates that are determined by their sizes. These bubbles of various sizes and concentrations control the propagation of acoustic signals inside and across a wake. To further our understanding of these phenomena, a series of three continuous-wave (CW)-pulsed signals were transmitted across a wake as the wake aged. Each transmission contained a set of four 0.5-ms-long pulses. The 12 pulses ranged over frequencies from 30 to 140 kHz in 10-kHz steps. The acoustic attenuations across wakes that were due to varying bubble-size densities within the wakes were determined experimentally. From those data, estimates of the bubble densities as functions of the speed of the wake-generating ship, the wake's age, and acoustic frequency were calculated. From the bubble-density results, power-law fits and void fractions are calculated. The attenuation measurements were taken at 7.5-m intervals behind the wake-generating ship and continued for about 2 km. The experiment was run for wakes generated at ship speeds of 12- and 15-kn wakes, and the 15-kn run was repeated for consistence determination. The bubble densities were observed to have power-law forms with varying parameters with the strongest, for early ages, having an exponent of ${-}$3.6 and a void fraction of 4 $times$ 10$^{-7}$ , and with both diminishing for older wakes, as might be expected.      

The Impact of Multipath on High-Resolution SAS Image Statistics

As with traditional sonar, synthetic aperture sonar (SAS) is susceptible to multipath contamination, reducing the quality and also modifying the statistics of the image. Such multipath contaminants may either be environmentally induced, as is often the case when attempting to image ranges greater than the water depth resulting in returns from the boundaries, or may be induced by the system's supporting structure itself. A clear understanding of such statistical impact is necessary to advance synthetic aperture formation algorithms and for predicting system performance. Broadband acoustic data suitable for SAS processing collected with a rail-mounted mobile-tower as part of the U.S. Office of Naval Research (ONR)-funded Sediment Acoustics eXperiment 2004 (SAX04) are analyzed in this paper. Analysis focused on both system structure and environmentally induced multipath using the $K$ -distribution shape parameter as a metric. High-resolution sonar imagery often exhibited significantly non-Rayleigh, heavy-tailed envelope statistics, characterized by a low equivalent $K$-distribution shape parameter. Analysis showed a clear and significant increase in the estimated shape parameter in the presence of multipath, representing a trend toward a Rayleigh-distributed envelope. A model for reverberation is presented to provide bounds of the statistical impact using observable image intensity level increases in synthetic-aperture-formed images caused by multipath contamination. This model further shows potential for statistical impact when multipath arrivals are of similar level as the direct path even when not observable in the image (e.g., within 10 dB).      

Geoacoustic Inversion for the New Jersey Shelf: 3-D Sediment Model

A 3-D model of sediment sound speed for a 90-km $^{2}$ area on the New Jersey shelf was constructed by application of a geoacoustic inversion technique. This approach is based on a combination of seismic reflection measurements and a perturbative inversion scheme using horizontal wave number estimates. In a two-step process, seismic reflection measurements were used to identify depths at which discontinuities in the sound-speed profile (SSP) likely occur. Then, the perturbative inversion algorithm made use of this a priori information by employing qualitative regularization, an optimal method for addressing stability and uniqueness issues associated with solving the ill-posed inversion problem that provides for resolution of the layered seabed structure.      

Buried Sphere Detection Using a Synthetic Aperture Sonar

This paper presents observations of a buried sphere detected with a low-frequency (5–35-kHz) synthetic aperture sonar (SAS). These detections were made with good signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs) at both above and below the critical grazing angle. The raw data for the below-critical-grazing angle detection shows that the acoustic penetration is skewed by the 29$^{circ}$ offset of the ripple field relative to the sonar path. This observed skew is in agreement with T-matrix calculations carried out to model penetration into the bottom via ripple diffraction. Additionally, measured SNRs over different frequency bands are compared to predictions made using both first- and second-order perturbation theory for ripple diffraction. Both the data and the models indicate a peak detection region around 25 kHz for the environmental conditions present during the test. These results confirm that ripple diffraction can play a critical role in long range (subcritical angle) buried target detection.      

Sparse Cylindrical Sonar Arrays

Sparse arrays offer a means for reducing the cost and complexity of beamforming systems. Most of the work in the literature has focused on sparse linear arrays with isotropic transducer elements, which simplifies analysis greatly. In this paper, we will focus on multibeam cylindrical arrays using highly directive elements for use in fishery applications, which requires a directionally independent imaging performance in the azimuth direction as well as beam steerability in the elevational direction. To populate such an array, we suggest a low periodicity in the azimuth direction of the array, which ensures a (near) directionally independent imaging performance in this direction. At the same time it reduces the complexity of the problem so that a suggested iterative method can find the optimal layout under the given constraints, within reasonable time. The optimality of the constrained solution is verified using a stochastic optimization procedure, with a “loosened” periodicity constraint. Simulations then show that the proposed layout, having low periodicity in the azimuth direction, has a reduced peak sidelobe level compared to the fully sampled array. All of the layouts have been required to support beam steering from $-$30 $^{circ}$ to 0$^{circ}$ in elevation and in all 360$^{circ}$ in azimuth, without deterioration in performance.      

$H_{2}$ and $H_{infty}$ Designs for Diving and Course Control of an Autonomous Underwater Vehicle in Presence of Waves

$H_{2}$ and $H_{infty}$ designs applied to the diving and course control of an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) considering the presence of wave disturbances are described. The six-degrees-of-freedom equations of motion of the vehicle are described as a linear model and divided into three noninteracting (or lightly interacting) subsystems for speed control, steering, and diving. This work is based on the slender form of the Naval Postgraduate School (NPS, Monterey, CA) AUV, considering that the subsystems can be controlled by means of two single-screw propellers, a rudder, port and starboard bow planes, and a stern plane. A model of the AUV dynamics is presented with the first- and the second-order wave force disturbances, i.e., the Froude–Kriloff and diffraction forces. An algorithm of nonlinear regression for the rationalization of the subsurface sea spectrum is provided in this case study. The obtained results are analyzed and evaluated in the frequency domain comparing the controllers performance considering or not the inclusion of the model of waves.      

High-resolution seafloor mapping using the DSL-120 sonar system: Quantitative assessment of sidescan and phase-bathymetry data from the Lucky Strike segment of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge

High-resolution, side-looking sonar data collected near the seafloor (100 m altitude) provide important structural and topographic information for defining the geological history and current tectonic framework of seafloor terrains. DSL-120 kHz sonar data collected in the rift valley of the Lucky Strike segment of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge near 37° N provide the ability to quantitatively assess the effective resolution limits of both the sidescan imagery and the computed phase-bathymetry of this sonar system. While the theoretical, vertical and horizontal pixel resolutions of the DSL-120 system are <1 m, statistical analysis of DSL-120 sonar data collected from the Lucky Strike segment indicates that the effective spatial resolution of features is 1–2 m for sidescan imagery and 4 m for phase-bathymetry in the seafloor terrain of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge rift valley. Comparison of multibeam bathymetry data collected at the sea-surface with deep-tow DSL-120 bathymetry indicates that depth differences are on the order of the resolution of the multibeam system (10–30 m). Much of this residual can be accounted for by navigational mismatches and the higher resolving ability of the DSL-120 data, which has a bathymetric footprint on the seafloor that is 20 times smaller than that of hull-mounted multibeam at these seafloor depths (2000 m). Comparison of DSL-120 bathymetry with itself on crossing lines indicates that residual depth values are ±20 m, with much of that variation being accounted for by navigational errors. A DSL-120 survey conducted in 1998 on the Juan de Fuca Ridge with better navigation and less complex seafloor terrain had residual depth values half those of the Lucky Strike survey. The quality of the bathymetry data varies as a function of position within the swath, with poorer data directly beneath the tow vehicle and also towards the swath edges.Variations in sidescan amplitude observed across the rift valley and on Lucky Strike Seamount correlate well with changes in seafloor roughness caused by transitions from sedimented seafloor to bare rock outcrops. Distinct changes in sonar backscatter amplitude were also observed between areas covered with hydrothermal pavement that grade into lava flows and the collapsed surface of the lava lake in the summit depression of Lucky Strike Seamount. Small features on the seafloor, including volcanic constructional features (e.g., small cones, haystacks, fissures and collapse features) and hydrothermal vent chimneys or mounds taller than 2 m and greater than 9 m² in surface area, can easily be resolved and mapped using this system. These features at Lucky Strike have been confirmed visually using the submersible Alvin, the remotely operated vehicle Jason, and the towed optical/acoustic mapping system Argo II.     

Seamount gravity anomaly modelling with variably thick sediment cover

Inversion modelling of marine gravity anomalies to derive predicted seafloor topography has provided significant advance in delineating deep-ocean bathymetry where the seafloor both conforms to the half-space cooling model of seafloor spreading, and largely sediment-free. Similar modelling for elevated ridges and seamounts, that are formed by processes other than seafloor spreading and/or have proximal sediment sources (e.g., continental margins and volcanic arcs), have significantly higher errors when validated against modern shipborne echo-sounding data. A three-dimensional, five-layer gravity model is emulated for the cases of both synthetic and real seamounts, with varying degrees of sediment burial, to establish the sensitivity of variable sediment cover as a source of error. A simple `Gaussian' seamount with base radius of 30 km, 2000 m of relief, has a maximum 140–160 mGal anomaly, that decreases to 50 mGal with the addition of 1 km of sediment cover with simple `flood' geometry. Complete burial, with a typical sediment density of 2300 kg m^–3, results in a 120 mGal difference from a sediment-free seamount model. Increasing sediment density results in an exponential decay of the seamount anomaly. More complex synthetic geometries of varying basement relief and sediment thickness show that the anomaly amplitude remains significant, especially where the latter is >700–800 m thick. For the real case, seamounts of the Three Kings Ridge (northern New Zealand) imaged with seismic reflection data, with varying degrees of sediment cover of up to 1 km, when modelled both with and with-out the inclusion of a sediment layer, typically have rms differences of 30 mGal between observed and modelled gravity anomalies. Significantly, the rms errors are reduced by 50% with the inclusion of a sediment layer that corresponds to a reduction of predicted seafloor topography rms errors of 192–684 m to 78–360 m.     

Seafloor electromagnetic induction studies in the Bay of Bengal

Seafloor magnetometer array experiments were conducted in the Bay of Bengal to delineate the subsurface conductivity structure in the close vicinity of the 85°E Ridge and Ninety East Ridge (NER), and also to study the upper mantle conductivity structure of the Bay of Bengal. The seafloor experiments were conducted in three phases. Array 1991 consisted of five seafloor stations across the 85°E Ridge along 14°N latitude with a land reference station at Selam (SLM). Array 1992 also consisted of five seafloor stations across 85°E Ridge along 12°N latitude. Here we used the data from Annamalainagar Magnetic Obervatory (ANN) as land reference data. Array 1995 consisted of four seafloor stations across the NER along 9°N latitude with land reference station at Tirunelveli (TIR). OBM-S4 magnetometers were used for seafloor measurements. The geomagnetic Depth Sounding (GDS) method was used to investigate the subsurface lateral conductivity contrasts. The vertical gradient sounding (VGS) method was used to deliniate the depth-resistivity structure of the oceanic crust and upper mantle. 1-D inversion of the VGS responses were conducted and obtained a 3-layer depth-resistivity model. The top layer has a resistivity of 150–500 m and a thickness of about 15–50 km. The second layer is highly resistive (2000–9000 m) followed by a very low resistive (0.1–50 m) layer at a depth of about 250–450 km. The 3-component magnetic field variations and the observed induction arrows indicated that the electromagnetic induction process in the Bay of Bengal is complex. We made an attempt to solve this problem numerically and followed two approaches, namely (1) thin-sheet modelling and (2) 3-D forward modelling. These model calculations jointly show that the observed induction arrows could be explained in terms of shallow subsurface features such as deep-sea fans of Bay of Bengal, the resistive 85°E Ridge and the sea water column above the seafloor stations. VGS and 3-D forward model responses agree fairly well and provided depth-resistivity profile as a resistive oceanic crust and upper mantle underlained by a very low resistive zone at a depth of about 250–400 km. This depth-range to the low resistive zone coincide with the seismic low velocity zone of the northeastern Indian Ocean derived from the seismic tomography. Thus we propose an electrical conductivity structure for the oceanic crust and upper mantle of the Bay of Bengal.     

Instrumental waveform distortion on ocean bottom seismometers

Data from the 1978 Lopez Island OBS Intercomparison Experiment and deep sea data from University of Washington OBSs show that there is a considerable amount of waveform distortion resulting from the conversion of horizontal motion into vertical motion, here called cross-coupling distortion. This distortion, which substancially reduces the significance of waveform matching with synthetic seismograms, appears to result from rotation imparted to the OBS package by near-vertically traveling shear energy. The degree of this rotation seems to depend on the instrument surface area above the seafloor and the geometry and surface area of the feet connecting the package to the seafloor. The sensitivity and response of the seismometers within the package to this rotation depends on the precise location of the seismometers with respect to the axis of rotation. The results suggest how to modify OBS designs to minimize these effects.University of Washington Contribution No. 1225.     

The status of geological dredging techniques

Scientific sea-floor dredging is currently used in marine geology primarily by the hard-rock community interested in the recovery of basement rock samples from the unsedimented deep ocean floor. The technique has generally been eclipsed by ocean drilling for recovery of sedimentary rocks, because of perceived uncertainties in the location of sampling and in the representativeness of recovered material. This contribution reviews dredging equipment currently in use by marine geological institutions and refers to pinger attachments that allow precise information on the behaviour of the dredge to be telemetered back to the ship. We argue that improvements in ship navigation and transponder navigation at the seafloor, when used in conjunction with surface and/or deeply towed sidescan and swathemapping surveys, now allow for considerably less uncertainty on the location of dredge sampling. Refined sorting criteria for dredge hauls are now also available. Recent comparisons of regional sample recovery by ocean drilling and by dredge sampling indicate that the dredge hauls can usefully supplement the drilling data in the construction of sedimentary and tectonic histories of seafloor areas.     

Tectonics of the Nereus Deep,Red Sea: A deep-tow investigation of a site of initial rifting

The Nereus Deep (23°N) lies in the central portion of the Red Sea, in a region which marks a transition between the nearly continuous axial rift valley of the southern Red Sea and the northern Red Sea, where a well defined axial rift is absent. The deep-tow survey and associated heat flow measurements reported here show that the Nereus Deep is a short segment of axial rift, and it is the northernmost deep where petrology, heat flow, magnetics, and morphology all indicate classic seafloor spreading. Heat flow measured in the Nereus Deep is characterized by non-linear gradients and closely-spaced variability indicative of active hydrothermal circulation associated with seafloor spreading. The two axial highs which we have mapped in Nereus differ markedly in that the southernmost appears younger or at least has had a more recent phase of volcanism. The two axial highs are offset left laterally approximately 2 km. This small offset or bend in the axial course has been labelled the Nereus shear zone, and, despite its small extent, it mimics many of the major features of small offset, slow-slipping transform faults. This shear zone may result from shear stresses associated with misalignments in succeeding volcanic episodes. The Nereus Deep appears to represent one of the earliest phases of seafloor spreading. The Red Sea seems to be opening towards the north, and the Nereus Deep is near the tip of propagation, but it is clear from this study that rift propagation in a site of initial rifting differs greatly from that observed along a well developed, fast spreading center like the East Pacific Rise.     

Consequences of the Sudden Removal of Nearly All Mussels and Cockles from the Dutch Wadden Sea

Abstract. Three successive years of recruitment failure, intensive fishery, and high rates of natural mortality eliminated all intertidal mussel beds and nearly all cockle beds from the Dutch Wadden Sea in the course of 1990. In late 1990 and early 1991, zoobenthic biomass and particularly bivalve stocks were unprecedentedly low. The following unusual events were noted:

• 1)

  Relatively high diatom and chlorophyll concentrations in the autumn of 1990 and an exceptionally early and dense spring bloom of diatoms in March 1991;
• 2)

  Exceptionally early onset of rapid growth in the bivalve Macoma balthica in March 1991;
• 3)

  Above-average weights of the soft parts of bivalves in the 1990/91 winter;
• 4)

  Elevated mortality rates in bivalves that could serve as alternative prey for birds specialised on big bivalves (oystercatchers and eiders);
• 5)

  Signs of food shortage in such birds: high mortality rates and emigration to other feeding areas;
• 6)

  A rapid recovery of the benthos started in the summer of 1991, accelerated by an exceptionally high recruitment in some of the affected species.

It is concluded that the Wadden Sea ecosystem responded in an elastic way to the removal of two of its key species. The events are not seen as merely coincidental but are regarded as a chain of causes and effects.     

Objective classification of oceanic ridge-crest terrains using two-dimensional spectral models of bathymetry: Application to the Juan de Fuca Ridge

An important application of detailed bathymetric mapping is the interpretation of geological processes based on the nature of the fine-scale morphology of the seafloor. This interpretation is usually accomplished through qualitative analysis of contour maps. In this paper, an objective classification technique, based on a two-dimensional spectral model of bathymetry developed by Fox and Hayes (1985) is applied to detailed Sea Beam data from the Juan de Fuca Ridge. Parameters of the model can be directly related to seafloor properties corresponding to 1) isotropic (non-directionally dependent) roughness; 2) anisotropic (directionally dependent) roughness; 3) orientation of the anisotropic component; and 4) spectral rool-off ( fractal dimension), by fitting the model surface to two-dimensional amplitude spectra of bathymetry determined on a regular grid over the study area. A test area was selected which encompasses the southern volcanic rift zone of Axial Volcano and the northern terminus of the Vance Segment. Parameters of the model clearly define the contrast between the constructional volcanic terrain (rough, isotropic, with high fractal dimension) and the tectonic extensional terrain (smoother, anisotropic, with low fractal dimension). An agglomerative, hierarchical cluster analysis is applied to the data, independent of spatial information, to delineate groups of spectra with similar characteristics. Distinct, mappable regions, corresponding to volcanic and tectonic provinces, are objectively determined. Also, coherent sub-regions of consistent spectral properties occur within the larger volcanic/tectonic divisions. The classification is extended to the Juan de Fuca Ridge system from 44°30 N to 47°20 N through combining these results with an a priori technique (K-means clustering). Broad-scale physiographic regions of the Juan de Fuca Ridge are delineated by the technique, which may aid geologists in the interpretation of crustal accretion processes at seafloor spreading centers.The U.S. Government right to retain a non-exclusive royaltyfree license in and to any copyright is acknowledged.     

Structure and topography of the Siqueiros transform fault system: Evidence for the development of intra-transform spreading centers

The Siqueiros transform fault system, which offsets the East Pacific Rise between 8°20N–8°30N, has been mapped with the Sea MARC II sonar system and is found to consist of four intra-transform spreading centers and five strike-slip faults. The bathymetric and side-looking sonar data define the total width of the transform domain to be 20km. The transform domain includes prominent topographic features that are related to either seafloor spreading processes at the short spreading centers or shearing along the bounding faults. The spreading axes and the seafloor on the flanks of each small spreading center comprise morphological and structural features which suggest that the two western spreading centers are older than the eastern spreading centers. Structural data for the Clipperton, Orozco and Siqueiros transforms, indicate that the relative plate motion geometry of the Pacific-Cocos plate boundary has been stable for the past 1.5 Ma. Because the seafloor spreading fabric on the flanks of the western spreading centers is 500 000 years old and parallels the present EPR abyssal hill trend (350°) we conclude that a small change in plate motion was not the cause for intra-transform spreading center development in Siqueiros. We suggest that the impetus for the development of intra-transform spreading centers along the Siqueiros transform system was provided by the interaction of small melt anomalies in the mantle (SMAM) with deepseated, throughgoing lithospheric fractures within the shear zone. Initially, eruption sites may have been preferentially located along strike-slip faults and/or along cross-faults that eventually developed into pull-apart basins. Spreading centers C and D in the eastern portion of Siqueiros are in this initial pull-apart stage. Continued intrusion and volcanism along a short ridge within a pull-apart basin may lead to the formation of a stable, small intra-transform spreading center that creates a narrow swath of ridge-parallel structures within the transform domain. The morphology and structure of the axes and flanks of spreading centers A and B in the western and central portion of Siqueiros reflect this type of evolution and suggest that magmatism associated with these intra-transform spreading centers has been active for the past 0.5–1.0 Ma.