Observation and inversion of very-low-frequency seismo-acoustic fields in the South China Sea

Very-low-frequency (VLF) sound has significant potential for underwater detection and estimation of geoacoustic models of the ocean bottom structure. In marine settings, one type of VLF sound is the interface wave. These waves, trapped near the fluid–solid interface, are called Scholte waves, and this is the subject of this study. A field experiment was carried out in the South China Sea with the objective of exciting Scholte waves and investigating the propagation. The data were acquired by an ocean bottom seismometer, deployed on the seafloor. A large volume airgun array near the sea surface provided the sound source. The fundamental and three higher-order mode Scholte waves were excited. The Scholte waves are investigated by seismograms and a phase velocity inversion. The observed frequencies are in the range of 1.0–2.9 Hz. The energy attenuation is proportional to 1/r at the peak frequency 1.4 Hz. The shear wave speed structure, down to 600 m beneath the seafloor, is revealed from the dispersion curves by a least-squares inversion algorithm. The inversion result shows that the shear wave speed is below 300 m/s in the uppermost layer, which explains well the weak excitation of Scholte waves in this experiment.