Marine Seismic Refraction Services

Marine seismic refraction is a method to determine the seismic P-wave velocity structure of the subsurface. The P-wave velocity is related to the hardness of the sub-bottom materials and can be used to map the top-of-rock, determine the dredgeability of sub-bottom materials, and identify anomalous conditions. Seismic P-waves are generated by a powerful airgun in the water column and propagate through the water and sub-bottom strata. Refracted P-waves are sensed by a hydrophone streamer and recorded by a seismograph. The data are processed to produce a continuous P-wave velocity cross-section, from which geologic interpretations and mapping are developed.