Microbiota and macrobiota alterations impact acoustic predictions of geotechnical sediment properties

2017 
Computed tomography supplies a three-dimensional vision of sedimentary geometries that are fabricated by microscopic and macroscopic biota. The biota alter sediment structure and properties in such a way that the altered sediment structure impacts acoustic determinations of idealized seafloor properties, which are based upon grain size and associated, yet textbook, geoacoustic properties. The presence of these alterations affects propagation by scattering acoustic energy at density discontinuities and non-planar surfaces (aka ”seafloor roughness”) both of which have a likely impacts: dampening of signal strength and increases in reverberation. The result is that the information sought about the seafloor is obscured; sediment properties, composition, strength, and potential for deformation and mobility are ambiguous and poorly constrained from available acoustic information in areas where biological activity significantly alters the sediment structure. Here, the three-dimensional geometry of the microbioti...
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