Abstract

The chirpsonar is a calibrated wideband digital FMsonar that provides quantitative, high‐resolution, low‐noise subbottom data. In addition, it generates an acoustic pulse with special frequency domain weighting that provides nearly constant resolution with depth. The chirpsonar was developed with the objective of remote acoustic classification of seafloor sediments. In addition to producing high‐resolution images, the calibrated digitally recorded data are processed to estimate surficial reflection coefficients as well as a complete sediment acoustic impulse profile. In this paper, surficial sediments in Narragansett Bay, RI are used to provide ground truth for an acoustic model. Quantitative acoustic returns from the chirpsonar are used to estimate surficial acoustic impedance and to predict sediment properties. A robust acoustic sediment classification model that uses core samples to account for the local depositional environment has been developed. The model uses an estimate of acoustic impedance to predict surficial density, porosity, compressibility, and rigidity. The comparisons show a high correlation between the core‐determined sediment properties and the estimates obtained from acoustic measurements.

Department

Center for Coastal and Ocean Mapping Affiliate

Publication Date

1-1992

Publisher

Acoustical Society of America

Journal Title

Journal of the Acoustical Society of America

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.1121/1.402758

Document Type

Article

Rights

© 1992 Acoustical Society of America.This article may be downloaded for personal use only. Any other use requires prior permission of the author and the Acoustical Society of America.

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