High-resolution analysis of seismic air gun impulses and their reverberant field as contributors to an acoustic environment

Abstract

In September and October 2011, a seismic survey took place in Baffin Bay, Western Greenland, in close proximity to a marine protected area (MPA). As part of the mitigation effort, five bottom-mounted marine acoustic recording units (MARUs) collected data that were used for the purpose of measuring temporal and spectral features from each impulsive event, providing a high-resolution record of seismic reverberation persistent after the direct impulse. Results were compared with ambient-noise levels as computed after the seismic survey to evidence that as a consequence of a series of repeating seismic impulses, sustained elevated levels create the potential for masking.