Correlation between acoustical and other physical properties of deep‐sea cores

A study of 22 cores confirms that certain bulk and textural properties of deep-sea sediments have a definite bearing on the transmission speed of sound through marine deposits. The higher the porosity, moisture content, and void ratio, the lower is the sound velocity. Increases in wet density are matched by increases in transmission speeds. There is no apparent correlation between sound velocity and either dry density or carbonate content. Shear strength is not a reliable index of transmission speed. Sound velocity is strongly related to grain size. Turbidites have high velocities, ash layers have intermediate velocities, and deep-sea muds and clays have low velocities. There is a relation between transmission speed and sorting, skewness, and transformed kurtosis, but these size measures are dependent upon mean grain size. Grain size governs the bulk and textural properties of unconsolidated marine sediments and is the most important physical property in determining the acoustical nature of deep-sea cores.

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