The Relationship Between Those Physical Properties of Underwater Sediments that Affect Bottom Reflection

Over the last few years very many cores have been taken from various parts of the ocean bottom, ranging from harbours to abyssal plains. This study presents the relationship between those physical properties of the sediments that affect bottom reflection, by using the data from more than 400 cores taken from various physiographic regions of the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans and the Norwegian, Mediterranean and Black Seas. The compressional sound velocities and densities measured in the cores and the Rayleigh reflection coefficients computed from these values are discussed with respect to their dependence on porosity. It is found that density and reflection coefficients can be related to porosity by a simple linear equation, and sound velocity by a second-order polynomial equation.