Abstract
The often poor quality of ocean bottom seismic data, particularly that observed on horizontal seismometers, is shown to be the result of instruments responding to motions in ways not intended. Instruments designed to obtain the particle motion of the ocean bottom are found to also respond to motions of the water. The shear discontinuity across the ocean floor boundary results in torques that cause package rotation, rather than rectilinear motion, in response to horizontal ground or water motion. The problems are exacerbated by bottom currents and soft sediments. The theory and data presented in this paper suggest that the only reliable way of obtaining high fidelity particle motion data from the ocean floor is to bury the sensors below the bottom in a package with density close to that of the sediment. Long period signals couple well to ocean bottom seismometers, but torques generated by bottom currents can cause noise at both long and short periods. The predicted effects are illustrated using parameters appropriate for the operational OBS developed for the U. S. Office of Naval Research. Examples of data from ocean bottom and buried sensors are also presented.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Au, B. and Clowes, R. M., 1984, Shear-Wave Velocity Structure of the Oceanic Lithosphere from Ocean Bottom Seismometer Studies,Geophys. J. R. Astron. Soc. 77, 105–123.
Barash, T. W., Doll, C. G. Jr., Collins, J. A., Sutton, G. H., and Solomon, S. C., 1994, Quantitative Evaluation of Passively Leveled Ocean Bottom Seismometers,Mar. Geophys. Res. 16, 347–363.
Barstow, N., Sutton, G. H., and Carter, J. A., 1989, Particle Motion and Pressure Relationships of Ocean Bottom Noise; 3900 m Depth; 0.003 to 5 Hz,Geophys. Res. Lets. 6, 1185–1188.
Batchelor, G. K., 1983, An Introduction to Fluid Dynamics, Cambridge University Press, 615 pp.
Binder, R. C., 1955, Fluid Mechanics, Prentice-Hall, Inc., 3rd ed., 386 pp.
Bratt, S. R. and Solomon, S. C., 1984, Compressional and Shear Wave Structure of the East Pacific Rise at 11°20′ N; Constraints From Three-Component Ocean Bottom Seismometer Data,J. Geophys. Res. 89, B7, 6095–6110.
Dodds, D. J., Chapman, D. M. F., Osler, J. C., and Risley, W. C., 1994, Minimizing Instrument Effects in an Ocean Bottom Seismometer,Canadian Acoustics 22, no 3.
Duennebier, F. and Harris, D., 1989, Broad-Band Seismometers on the Ocean Floor (abstract),EOS, Trans. Am. Geophys. Union 70, 1216.
Duennebier, F. K., Lienert, B., Cesaro, R., Anderson, P., and Mallick, S., 1987, Controlled-Source Seismic Experiment at Hole 581C, Leg 88, Deep Sea Drilling Project,Init. Repts. 88, 105–125.
Duennebier, F. K., Blackinton, G., and Sutton, G., 1981, Current-Generated Noise Recorded on Ocean Bottom Seismometers,Mar. Geophys. Res. 5, 109–115.
Ewing, J., Carter, J. A., Sutton, G. H., and Barstow, N., 1992, Shallow Water Sediment Properties Derived from High-Frequency Shear and Interface Waves,J. Geophys. Res. 97, B4, 4739–4762.
Gross, T. F., Williams, A., and Grant, W., 1986, Long Term in situ Calculations of Kinetic Energy and Reynolds Stress in a Deep Sea Boundary Layer,J. Geophys. Res. 91, 8461–8469.
Hsieh, T. K., 1962, Foundation Vibrations,Proc. Inst. Civil Engineers 22, 211–226.
Hyndman, R. D., Rogers, G.C., Bone, M. N., Lister, C. R. B., Wade, U.B., Bartlett, D. L., Davis, E. E., Lewis, T., Lynch, B., and Seeman, D., 1978, Geophysical Measurements in the Region of the Explorer Ridge off Western Canada,Can. J. Earth Sci. 15, 1508–1525.
Jacobson, R. B., Bibee, L. D., Embley, R. W., and Hammond, S. R., 1987, A Microseismicity Survey of Axial Seamount, Juan de Fuca Ridge,Bull. Seis. Soc. Am. 77, 160–172.
Jacobson, R. S., Dorman, L. M., Purdy, G. M., Shultz, A., and Solomon, S. C., 1991, New Ocean Bottom Seismometer Facilities Available for Use,EOS, Trans. Am. Geophys. Union 72, 506 and 515.
Lewis, B. T. R. and Tuthill, J. D., 1981, Instrument Waveform Distortion on Ocean Bottom Seismometers,Mar. Geophys. Res. 5, 79–86.
Lindholm, C. D. and Marrow, P. C., 1990, Ocean Bottom Seismometers in the Northern North Sea; Experience and Preliminary Results with the Statford OBS,Bull. Seis. Soc. Am. 80, 1014–1025.
Luco, J. E. and Westman, R. A., 1971, Dynamic Response of Circular Footings,J. Eng. Mechanics Div. ASCE 97, 1381–1395.
Ostrovsky, A. A., 1989, The Estimation of Ocean Bottom Seismographs' Coupling Characteristics by Means of Microshock Recordings,Mar. Geophys. Res. 11, 119–128.
Rogers, P. W., 1992, Frequency Limits for Seismometers as Determined from Signal-to-Noise Ratios. Part 2. The Feedback Seismometer,Bull. Seis. Soc. Am. 82, 1099–1123.
Sauter, A. M. and Dorman, L. M., 1986, Instrument Calibration of Ocean Bottom Seismographs,Mar. Geophys. Res. 8, 265–275.
Schreiner, A. E., and Dorman, L. M., 1990, Coherence Lengths of Seafloor Noise: Effect of Ocean Bottom Structure,J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 88, 1503–1513.
Stephen, R. A., Koelsch, D. E., Berteaux, H., Bocconeclle, A., Bolmer, S., Cretin, J., Etourmy, N., Fabre, A., Goldsbourough, R., Gould, M., Kery, S., Laurent, J., Omnes, G., Peal, K., Swift, S., Turpening, R., and Zani, C., 1994, The Seafloor Borehole Array Seismic System (SEABASS) and ULF Ambient Noise,Mar. Geophys. Res. 16, 243–268.
Sutton, G. H., Lewis, B. T. R., Ewing, J., Duennebier, F. K., Iwataki, B., and Tuthill, J. D., 1980, Lopez Island Ocean Bottom Seismometer Intercomparison Experiment Final Report, Hawaii Institute of Geophysics Report H-80-4, University of Hawaii.
Sutton, G. H., Duennebier, F. K., and Iwataki, B., 1981, Coupling of Ocean Bottom Seismometers to Soft Bottoms,Mar. Geophys. Res. 5, 35–51.
Sutton, G. H. and Duennebier, F.K., 1987, Optimum Design of Ocean Bottom Seismometers,Mar. Geophys. Res. 9, 47–65.
Sutton, G. H., Barstow, N., and Carter, J. A., 1988, Long-Period Seismic Measurements on the Ocean Floor,Proc. Workshop on Broad-Band Downhole Seismometers in the Deep Ocean, G. M. Purdy and A. M. Dziewonski, Conv., Woods Hole Oceanographic Inst., Woods Hole, MA., 126–142.
Sutton, G. H. and Barstow, N., 1990, Ocean-Bottom Ultralow-Frequency (ULF) Seismo-Acoustic Ambient Noise: 0.002-0.4 Hz,J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 87, 2005–2012.
Trehu, A. M., 1984, Lateral Velocity Variations in the Orozco Transform Fault Inferred from Observed Incident Angles and Azimuths of P-waves,Geophys. J. R. Astron. Soc. 177, 711–728.
Trehu, A. M., 1985a, Coupling of Ocean Bottom Seismometers to Sediments, Results of Tests with the U.S. Geological Survey Ocean Bottom Seismometer,Bull. Seis. Soc. Am. 75, 271–289.
Trehu, A. M., 1985b, A Note on the Effect of Bottom Currents on an Ocean Bottom Seismometer,Bull. Seis. Soc. Am. 75, 1195–1204.
Trehu, A. M. and Sutton, G. H., 1994, A Note on the Seafloor Coupling Characteristics of the New ONR Ocean-Bottom Seismometer,Mar. Geophys. Res. 16, 91–103.
Tuthill, J. D., Lewis, B. T. R., and Garmany, J. D., 1981, Stoneley Waves, Lopez Island Noise and Deep Sea Noise from 1 to 5 Hz,Mar. Geophys. Res. 5, 95–108.
Veletsos, A. S. and Wei, T. T., 1971, Lateral and Rocking Vibration of Footings,J. Soil Mechanics and Foundations Div. ASCE 9, 1227–1248.
Waters, K. H., 1981, Reflection Seismology, John Wiley and Sons, 2nd ed., 453 pp.
Webb, S. C., 1988, Long Period Acoustic and Seismic Measurements and Ocean Floor Currents,IEEE J. of Oceanic Eng. 13, 263–270.
Zelikovitz, S. J. and Prothero, W., 1981, The Vertical Response of an Ocean Bottom Seismometer: Analysis of the Lopez Island Vertical Transient Tests,Mar. Geophys. Res. 5, 53–67.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Duennebier, F.K., Sutton, G.H. Fidelity of ocean bottom seismic observations. Mar Geophys Res 17, 535–555 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01204343
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01204343