Theoretical aspects of sound transmission in sediments

The structure of a general theory for acoustic wave propagation in ocean sediments is reviewed with emphasis on the determination of meaningful parameters from data in the literature. It is shown that acoustic properties are nonlinear functions of cyclic strain amplitude and static stress level so that only a limited amount of the available data is useful for studies of acoustic propagation. An example of geoacoustic modeling is presented based on the theory and some new data for Stoneley wave velocities measured in situ are evaluated with the aid of the model.