Hydrophone performance in sediment

Hayman, G., Theobald, P., Robb, G.B.N., Robinson, S., Humphrey, V., Leighton, T.G., Dix, J.K. and Best, A.I. (2007) Hydrophone performance in sediment. Papadakis, J.S. and Bjorno, L. (eds.) In Proceedings of the Second International Conference on Underwater Acoustic Measurements, Technologies and Results. Institute of Sound and Vibration Research. pp. 453-458 .

Abstract

In situ measurements of acoustic signals in marine sediment are often
performed using hydrophones which have been designed for use in water. Typically, these
hydrophones are characterised for transmit or receive sensitivity in water. When the
hydrophone is submerged in a medium other than water, the sensitivity (both amplitude
and phase response) of the hydrophone, and its resonant characteristics, can be
dramatically affected as a result of the differences in acoustic impedance of the medium
and the different coupling to the medium. To investigate these changes, a series of
measurements of electrical impedance and receive sensitivity were performed on a
hydrophone in fine sand sediment using a novel method which does not require a priori
knowledge of the absorption in the medium. The initial results of this investigation are
presented in this paper demonstrating the change in the hydrophone characteristics when
used in sediment at frequencies above 40 kHz, and the factors affecting hydrophone
performance in sediment are discussed.

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Contributors

Author: V. Humphrey

Author: T.G. Leighton

Author: J.K. Dix

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