Sediment sound velocities from sonobuoys: Arabian Fan

Abstract

Eight variable‐angle seismic reflection stations in the Arabian Fan, Northwestern Indian Ocean, provided 40 determinations of sound velocity in sediment and sedimentary rock. Sound velocity in the homogeneous, largely terrigenous fan increases smoothly with depth. Regression analysis yielded the velocity‐time relationship V (km/s) = 1.510 + 1.863 t , where V is instantaneous velocity and t is one‐way travel time below the sea floor to 1 s. The velocity‐depth function is V (km/s) = 1.510 + 1.200 h ; − 0.253 h 2 + 0.034 h 3 , where h is subbottom depth in km.