About the Project
In the past decade it has been recognized that conventional marine seismic reflection data can be used to image large volumes of the interior of the ocean. At present the seismic oceanographic community is learning how to interpret these images. Most research has concentrated on interpreting the geometry of reflections on individual seismic profiles. This project will take a different approach by measuring the statistical variation in average water layer sound speed over the footprint of entire seismic surveys. The footprint of a typical hydrocarbon prospect-scale 2D or 3D seismic survey is similar to the cell size used in many oceanic circulation models (OCMs). Average sound speed variability measurements across such areas can be compared directly with basic OCM outputs, and can therefore be used to validate OCMs. Better and more widespread validation will improve OCM predictions supplied to commercial users and employed in climate modelling studies.
References
Jones SM, Sutton C, Hardy RJJ, Hardy D, Seismic imaging of variable water layer sound speed in Rockall Trough, NE Atlantic and implications for seismic surveying in deep water, In: Vining BA, Pickering SC (eds) Petroleum Geology: From Mature Basins to New Frontiers – Proceedings of the 7th Petroleum Geology Conference (2010) 549–558, doi: 10.1144/0070549.
Holbrook WS, Páramo P, Pearse S, Schmitt RW, 2003. Thermohaline fine structure in an oceanographic front from seismic reflection profiling. Science 301, 821–824.
Jones SM, Hardy RJJ, Hobbs RW, Hardy D, 2008. The new synergy between seismic reflection imaging and oceanography, First Break 26(8), 51–57.
Krahmann G, Brandt P, Klaeschen D, Reston T, 2008. Mid-depth internal wave energy off the Iberian Peninsula estimated from seismic reflection data, Journal of Geophysical Research 113, C12016, doi:10.1029/2007JC004678.
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