Optimal Transmission of Interface Vibration Wavelets—A Simulation of Seabed Seismic Responses

Abstract

Seismic interface waves generated by seabed impacts are believed to have biological importance. Previous work on the effects of ocean piling and dredging studied water motion adjacent to the seabed, using sediment measurements as reviewed in the literature. This new modelling work has idealised the sediment data to a simple model with few parameters, and has shown how this leads to filtration of the applied energy to propagate simple seismic vibration wavelets. These special wavelets remain compact with high peak levels of the associated water particle velocity as they ripple outward, and provide a means of assessing the worst-case environmental impact. The form of this wavelet morphs from a hump shape to a dip and back, via intermediate forms which are here described in mathematical terms based on the Ricker form. Whilst the model structure is idealised it is much closer to reality than the Rayleigh and Scholte half-space models, but with only two more parameters required. The resultant wavelet peaks are propagated with values given by the optimal limit case of cylindrical spreading (ignoring absorption) which results in a relatively widespread impact.

Keywords

• seismic wavelet
• water particle velocity
• seabed piling impact
• Ricker