Importance

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Abstract

Controlled-polarization marine seismic shear-wave source has a base suitable for positioning on a seafloor, beneath a water body. Twin water-blast tubes (seismic-impulse-generation thrusters) are mounted on the base, aimed upwardly, outwardly in opposite directions at equal acute angles .beta. relative to the base. These blast tubes are positioned symmetrically on opposite sides of vertical centerline CL of the source. When submerged, water enters open mouths at upper ends of the tubes. The base has multiple downwardly projecting blade-like teeth for penetrating into the seafloor. Firing a compressed-air discharger mounted in a lower end of a water-blast tube hurls a powerful slug of water upwardly along the tube, producing a powerful reaction impulse acting downwardly generally parallel with the tube axis. These blade-like teeth, engaging with seafloor material, couple into the seafloor horizontal force components of reaction impulses, thereby propagating simultaneously into the body of the seafloor horizontally-polarized shear waves (SH-Waves) and vertically-polarized shear waves (SV-Waves). Firing one blast tube produces SH-Waves and SV-Waves of first polarities. Firing the other tube produces SH-Waves and SV-Waves of second polarities, respectively opposite to the first polarities. Both tubes are fired simultaneously for propagating compressional P-Waves. While lifting slightly by a swivel cable, azimuthal orientations of the source and resulting shear-wave orientations are controllably changeable by simultaneously firing pneumatic thrusters aimed outwardly from diagonally opposite corners of the base.

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First Claim