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Seismic peak amplitude as a predictor of TOC content in shallow marine sediments

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Abstract

Acoustic remote sensing is a highly effective tool for exploring the seafloor of both deep and shallow marine settings. Indeed, the acoustic response depends on several physicochemical factors such as sediment grain size, bulk density, water content, and mineralogy. The objective of the present study is to assess the suitability of seismic peak amplitude as a predictor of total organic carbon (TOC) content in shallow marine sediments, based on data collected in the Cabo Frio mud belt in an upwelling zone off southeastern Brazil. These comprise records of P-wave velocity (V P) along 680 km of high-resolution single-channel seismic surveys, combined with analyses of grain size, wet bulk density, absolute water content and TOC content for four piston-cores. TOC contents of sediments from 13 box-cores served to validate the methodology. The results show well-defined positive correlations between TOC content and mean grain size (phi scale) as well as absolute water content, and negative correlations with V P, wet bulk density, and acoustic impedance. These relationships yield a regression equation by which TOC content can be satisfactorily predicted on the basis of acoustic impedance for this region: y = − 4.84 ln(x) + 40.04. Indeed, the derived TOC contents differ by only 5% from those determined by geochemical analysis. After appropriate calibration, acoustic impedance can thus be conveniently used as a predictor of large-scale spatial distributions of organic carbon enrichment in marine sediments. This not only contributes to optimizing scientific project objectives, but also enhances the cost-effectiveness of marine surveys by greatly reducing the ship time commonly required for grid sampling.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by grant #0050.0048388.08.9 from the Geochemistry Network of the Petroleum National Agency and Petrobras, in cooperation with Universidade Federal Fluminense, Brazil. The authors wish to thank three reviewers and the editors for their valuable contributions to this paper.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Geology and Geophysics Department, Universidade Federal Fluminense, Av. General Milton Tavares de Souza, s/n Gragoatá, 24322-095, Niterói, RJ, Brazil

    Arthur Ayres Neto & Bruno Bourguignon Mota

  2. Geochemistry Department, Universidade Federal Fluminense, Outeiro São João Baptista s/n Centro, Niterói, RJ, Brazil

    André Luiz Belem & Ana Luiza Albuquerque

  3. Petrobras Research Center (CENPES), Av. Horácio Macedo 950, Cidade Universitária, 21941-915, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil

    Ramsés Capilla

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  1. Arthur Ayres Neto
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  2. Bruno Bourguignon Mota
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  3. André Luiz Belem
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  4. Ana Luiza Albuquerque
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  5. Ramsés Capilla
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Correspondence to Arthur Ayres Neto.

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Neto, A.A., Mota, B.B., Belem, A.L. et al. Seismic peak amplitude as a predictor of TOC content in shallow marine sediments. Geo-Mar Lett 36, 395–403 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00367-016-0449-3

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