Water-layer Scholte wave acquisition and analysis for characterizing shallow seabed sediments
a feasibility study
A. Rahimi Dalkhani (TU Delft - Civil Engineering & Geosciences)
F. Balestrini (Fugro )
A. Nath (Fugro )
V. Socco (Politecnico di Torino, TU Delft - Civil Engineering & Geosciences)
G. Drijkoningen (TU Delft - Civil Engineering & Geosciences)
E. Verschuur (TU Delft - Civil Engineering & Geosciences)
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Abstract
This study investigates the feasibility of acquiring and analyzing Scholte waves within the water layer to estimate shallow shear-wave velocity profiles of marine sediments. Using a realistic subsurface model, 2D elastic wave simulations are performed with sources and receivers placed at varying heights above the seabed. Dispersion analysis confirmed that both fundamental and higher-mode Scholte waves remain detectable when the source and receivers are positioned just two meters above the seafloor. Even with added Gaussian noise, Scholte waves are clearly observable, demonstrating the practical potential of this approach. A Bayesian Markov Chain Monte Carlo inversion successfully recovers key features of the shear-wave velocity structure from the dispersion curves, though resolution diminishes with noise and reduced high-frequency content. These results suggest that effective Scholte wave acquisition and inversion are achievable without placing equipment directly on the seabed, offering an environmentally friendly alternative for shallow marine sediment characterization. However, implementing this setup in practice presents technical challenges that require further investigation.