Comparison of theory and experiment of acoustic bottom penetration in a shallow water site

Signals from a spark source in water and received by acoustic sensors buried in a sandy sediment in a site off La Spezia, Italy, are compared to theoretical model predictions from a fast field model. The model is a modification of OASES 1.6 that includes Biot’s poroelastic wave propagation model. The received acoustic pulses are compared to determine the transfer function from the in‐water source to the buried acoustic sensors. From a theoretical point of view, the sediment is treated as a poroelastic solid governed by Biot’s theory of acoustic propagation. It is predicted to support two acoustic waves. Comparisons are made between theory and experiment. [Work supported by Office of Naval Research, Ocean Acoustics Program, code 321 OA, under the initiative for basic research in the physics of moderate to high frequency acoustics.]