Modeling high-frequency acoustic backscattering from gas voids buried in sediments

It was found in a previous paper that strong acoustic backscattering from a soft sediment in Eckernforde Bay, Germany, is caused by scatterers buried beneath the sea floor. The scatterers are methane gas voids of nonspherical shape. This paper models backscattering due to such gas voids. Scattering cross sections of oblate spheroids are calculated to approximate those of gas voids. Proper statistical averages are taken to make model/data comparisons. It is found that this single scattering model compares favorably with measured acoustic backscattering data at 40 kHz. In the model, density and spatial distribution of gas voids are derived from limited core data.