Evaluation of sediment heterogeneity using microresistivity imaging and X-radiography

Microresistivity imaging and X-radiography of 3-cm-thick sediment core slabs collected by divers from Eckernforde Bay, Germany, indicate subtle delineations and features created by hydrodynamic and biological processes within the top 20 cm of the sediment. Variations in the images of both techniques are controlled by the physical properties of the sediment. The X-radiographs record attenuation by solids throughout the 3-cm thickness of the sediment slab, while microresistivity images depend on pore water in terms of amount, salinity, and distribution. The microresistivity method is shown to detect layered structures and the presence of shells within the highporosity sediment.