Journal of Tropical Oceanography ›› 2016, Vol. 35 ›› Issue (3): 48-54.doi: 10.11978/2015102CSTR: 32234.14.2015102

• Marine Geology • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Influence of the grain size on the porosity and acoustic velocity of offshore surface sediments in the Southeastern Hainan Island

TIAN Yuhang1, 2, CHEN Zhong1, LIU Jirui3, HUANG Weixia1, ZHONG Yi1, 2   

  1. 1. Key Laboratory of Marginal Sea Geology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510301, China;
    2. University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China;
    3. Beijing Information Science and Technology University, Beijing 100192, China
  • Received:2015-07-29 Online:2016-05-29 Published:2016-05-27
  • Contact: Chen Zhong. E-mail: chzhsouth@scsio.ac.cn
  • Supported by:
    State Key Program of the National Natural Science Foundation of China (91128206); National Natural Science Foundation of China (41376057); National High Technology Research and Denelopment Program of China (2014BAB14B01)

Abstract: Acoustic and physical properties of surficial marine sediments are mainly influenced by the grain size and show obvious regional variations. This study was conducted on the mutual relationship between the parameters of offshore sediments in the southeastern Hainan Island by measuring the sound velocity, porosity and grain size. The results exhibited that the compression wave velocity of the seafloor sediment was variable between 1455 m•s-1 and 1773 m•s-1. From the northeast to the southwest in this study area, the wave velocity of seabed sediments decreased and four zones with different sound-velocity could be divided. The regression analyses showed that the grain size had a negative relationship with the porosity and positive relationship with the sound velocity. The finer sediments had larger porosity and lower sound velocity.

Key words: seafloor sediment, grain size, porosity, sound velocity, offshore of southeastern Hainan Island

CLC Number: 

  • P736.211