Table Of ContentSPRINGER BRIEFS IN OCEANOGRAPHY
Jacques Yves Guigné
Philippe Blondel
Acoustic
Investigation of
Complex Seabeds
123
SpringerBriefs in Oceanography
More information about this series at http://www.springer.com/series/11754
é
Jacques Yves Guign Philippe Blondel
(cid:129)
Acoustic Investigation
of Complex Seabeds
123
JacquesYves Guigné Philippe Blondel
Department ofPhysics Department ofPhysics
University of Bath University of Bath
Bath, Avon Bath, Avon
UK UK
and
AcousticZoom Ltd.
Paradise, NL
Canada
ISSN 2196-1212 ISSN 2196-1220 (electronic)
SpringerBriefs inOceanography
ISBN978-3-319-02578-0 ISBN978-3-319-02579-7 (eBook)
DOI 10.1007/978-3-319-02579-7
LibraryofCongressControlNumber:2016963742
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This book, and all this work, would not have
been possible without the love and support of
Anna during all these decades, and I would
like to dedicate the book to her.
For my grandchildren Éric, Raya, Mila and
Loïc, to inspire them to the world of seabed
acoustics.
Jacques Yves Guigné
For my parents: role models,
encouragements and always present when
needed. For Olga, source of inspiration and
constant support. And for Diego, to share
with him the wonders of science and the
discovery of underwater frontiers.
Philippe Blondel
Preface
Marine environments are increasingly important to human activities, with
increasing exploration of our “Blue Planet” and with the development of resource
extraction and offshore construction in often challenging environments. For these
activities,weneedanaccurateknowledgeoftheseabedandwhatliesimmediately
beneath it. Are there methane reservoirs frozen below a particular Arctic seabed?
Whatisthe“plumbingsystem”belowafieldofhydrothermalvents?Canresources
be safely extracted from a particular area, or is the seabed unstable? Will the
installation of gravity bases for a large offshore wind farm be possible, or will the
location ofthedifferent turbinesbeconstrained by thelocal geology? Will drilling
workinthissite,oraretherehiddenobstaclesthataregoingtoblockit?Oristhere
a risk of punch through, affecting economic viability as well as risks to humans,
assets and theenvironment?Human activities also affect the marine environments,
andknowinghowtheydosoisnowessential.Howdoesresourceextractionaffect
thesubsurfacegeology?Howdomarinehabitatsfarewithparticularactivities(e.g.
trawl fishing) or how well do they recover after these activities cease (e.g. Grand
Banks fishing moratorium)? How successful is a particular carbon capture and
storagefacility inkeepingCO safelyintheground? Ifsitinganoffshorestructure
2
atoneplace,willitbesaferorriskierthansitingit15maway?Allthesequestions,
and many more, are routinely faced by marine scientists and geotechnical
engineers.
This book is for them and for anyone interested in the discovery of what lies
below theseabed. Through fact-packed chapters,weaim toillustrate theevolution
of the Acoustic Interrogation of Complex Seabeds (the title of this book) from its
initial concepts to the answer products now available on the market. First author
JacquesYvesGuignédidhisPh.D.attheUniversityofBathandgraduatedin1986,
with some key ideas about how to improve existing geoacoustic tools. He then
founded Guigné International Ltd. to pursue further the prototyping and experi-
mentation of these thoughts in collaboration with his academic role at C-CORE
(Memorial University ofNewfoundland). He latercofounded PanGeo Subsea Inc.,
to develop the prototypes into commercial sub-seabed exploration tools. He also
founded Acoustic Zoom Inc., to expand on the physics behind the sonar-based
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viii Preface
sciencestonewapplicationsforunprecedentedearthimaging.Jacques’workearned
himtheRayleighMedal,thepremierawardfromtheInstituteofAcoustics(in2013),
andaD.Sc.fromtheUniversityofBath(in2014).ThisbookisfocusedonJacques’
work and his achievements and in particular the development and use in the field
of the Acoustic Corer now marketed by PanGeo Subsea Inc. (Canada). Second
author Philippe Blondel joined the University of Bath in 1999, where he has spe-
cialisedinsonarmapping,developingmultistaticsonarsandwritingtextbookssuch
as the Handbook of Sidescan Sonar (Springer, 2009) and Bathymetry and its
Applications (InTech, 2011). He is teaching physics to undergraduate and post-
graduatestudentsandheisalsodeputydirectoroftheCentreforSpace,Atmospheric
andOceanicScience(CSAOS). Bothauthorsstartedcollaborating andexchanging
ideas after their first meeting in 2007, and Jacques Yves Guigné is now a visiting
professorat theUniversity of Bath.
This double authorship offers a double perspective to this book. The insights
oftheinventorofmanydevicesforacousticseabedinterrogation(ASI)resultfrom
several decades of hard work, in the laboratory and in the field. This book aims to
explainthethoughtprocessesbutalsotheeverydayuseatseaandhowitcompares
with other technical approaches. Springer Briefs are meant for “experienced read-
ers”,andinthisspirit,weassumeknownthebasicsofunderwateracoustics,marine
geophysics and seismic prospection. The reader desirous to know more (or refresh
someconcepts)willbeinvitedwherenecessarytolookatspecificreferencesknown
in the field, such as Applied Geophysics (Cambridge University Press, 1990),
written by W.M. Telford, L.P. Geldart and R.E. Sheriff, and An Introduction to
Underwater Acoustics (Springer, 2009), written by X. Lurton. Both books have
seen several editions, a strong measure of their success. Other references will be
presented wherever felt necessary.
We hope that this short book will help appreciate the challenges of acoustic
seabed interrogation and how this can be successfully addressed in even the most
complex environments with a new instrument (the Acoustic Corer) presented in a
variety of situations.
Paradise, NL, Canada Jacques Yves Guigné
Bath, UK Philippe Blondel
October 2016
Acknowledgements
All books are collaborative endeavours, and the science presented in a book could
notbebroughttoawideraudiencewithoutthededicationandhardworkofateam
working behind the scene to “make it happen”. We are very fortunate (and very
grateful) that Springer accepted our book proposal, and we would like to thank in
particularJanetSterritt-Brunnerforherinitialencouragements.Duringthewriting,
we interacted with Devi Ignasy and Karthik Raj Selvaraj, whose patience with the
delays coming from very busy professional lives (and the odd health issues along
the way) was always much appreciated.
The making of this book would not have been possible without a mutual
colleague, who also happens to be a mutual friend and who made us meet at the
Underwater Acoustics Conference in 2007. Both authors would like to acknowl-
edge the guiding figure of Prof. Emeritus Nicholas G. Pace, as supervisor (some-
times)androlemodel(always).NickstartedworkingintheDepartmentofPhysics
at the University of Bath in 1970, and he stayed there until his retirement a few
years ago. He was the Ph.D. supervisor of Jacques Yves Guigné (1982–1986) and
the line manager of Philippe Blondel (1999–2000). Nick’s strong preferences for
experimental work, his wide and extensive knowledge of the entire field of
underwater acoustics (from what had been published to what had been tried and
never published) and his guidance in translating laboratory experiments into
sea-based products were defining influences for both of us.
Throughout the three decades of research and development that led to the
Acoustic Corer and derived answer products, many students, technical staff and
scientists worked with Jacques at the various companies and institutions that
teamed up with him to deliver on the sciences. Selected mention is to be given to
Dr. Chris Pike, Dr. Richard Charron, Dr. Sam Bromley, Dr. Ian McDermott, Gary
Dinn and Adam Gogacz for their work and direct participation. Special thanks to
PanGeoSubseafortheirsupportinparticulartoMs.MoyaCahill,cofounderofthe
firmthattooktheacousticinterrogationideasintocommercialapplications.Special
mention is also gratefully made to the Canada National Research Council’s
Industrial Research Assistance Program who provided grants to Guigné to pursue
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x Acknowledgements
the various experimental trials that shaped the concept for interrogatingthe seabed
with acoustics to commercial applications.
Except asindicated, all figures were produced by theauthorsin their respective
lines of work. When presenting work spanning several decades and a wealth of
scientificpublications, technicalandcommercial reportsandgeneralpresentations,
omissionsormisattributions arealwaysapossibility. The authorswilltherefore be
very grateful for notification of any error, which will be corrected as soon as
possible, either online or in the next editions.
