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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Mar. Sci.
Sec. Ocean Observation
Volume 11 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fmars.2024.1351327
This article is part of the Research Topic Ocean Observation based on Underwater Acoustic Technology-Volume II View all 22 articles

A high-precision positioning method for deep-towed multichannel seismic arrays

Provisionally accepted
Zhengrong Wei Zhengrong Wei 1Yanliang Pei Yanliang Pei 2*Xiangqian Zhu Xiangqian Zhu 3Kai Liu Kai Liu 2Xiao-bo Zhang Xiao-bo Zhang 1Le Zong Le Zong 4Xinyu Li Xinyu Li 3
  • 1 Shandong University of Science and Technology, Qingdao, Shandong Province, China
  • 2 First Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resources, Qingdao, Shandong Province, China
  • 3 Key Laboratory of High Efficiency and Clean Mechanical Manufacture, Ministry of Education, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong Province, China
  • 4 National Deep Sea Center (NDSC), Qingdao, Shandong Province, China

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Kuiyang-ST2000 is a deep-towed multichannel seismic system that provides high-resolution exploration of sub-seabed geological formations. Due to the uncertainty of the sound speed at full ocean depth, the travel-time positioning of sea surface reflected waves still has flaws in positioning arrays. This research reveals that the average sound speed of seawater selected for computing the array position only affects the vertical displacement of the arrays. thus, a polynomial fitting method is proposed to position the arrays. Because the nonuniform mass distribution complicates the array shape, first, the weight of the digital transmission unit is balanced by one designed floater so that the array shape becomes a simple convex curve during towing conditions. Afterward, one general sound speed is used to calculate the initial array position; then, the polynomial fitting method is used to tune the sound speed so that the seismic source and hydrophones are on the same convex curve. Finally, an accurate array position is calculated by the proposed positioning method, and the submarine shallow strata are imaged at a high resolution.

    Keywords: deep-towed multichannel seismic system, array shape, array positioning, sound speed at full ocean depth, Polynomial fitting

    Received: 06 Dec 2023; Accepted: 05 Jul 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Wei, Pei, Zhu, Liu, Zhang, Zong and Li. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Yanliang Pei, First Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resources, Qingdao, 266061, Shandong Province, China

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.