In one form of seismic prospecting powerful sound waves are transmitted towards the bottom and sound wave reflections from various strata under the bottom are recorded, and the recordings are used as a basis for closer studies.

The sound waves are generated by air guns supplied with compressed air from a towing vessel, and are fired according to a certain program. The air guns are suspended from buoys or other buoyant bodies and are located a few meters- beneath the surface of the sea. Since each air gun is suspended from a separate buoy, the positions of the air guns in the previously known equipment will be strongly influenced even by small wave movements, and these deviations from presumed position may have an unfavourable effect on the results of the measurements. This in particular applies to variations in the depth of the air guns beneath the sea surface, but also the mutual horisontal spacing of the air guns is of much interest in this connection.

The purpose of the invention is to eliminate the above drawback so that the influence of the wave movements on the measuring results by the position variations referred to, may be minimised. According to the invention this is obtained by suspending the air guns in an appropriate number from a unitary, relatively rigid buoyant body. For example, this may be a float, a paravane or the like, which is little or not at all influenced by small wave movements, and which follow larger wave movements in a more correct way from a seismic prospecting point of view, than a chain of air guns suspended each from a separate buoy.

The invention is characterized by the features recited in the claims and will be explained more closely in the following with reference to the drawing in which: Figure 1 shows the aft end of a vessel which tows a paravane with air guns according to the invention. Figure 2 shows the same as Figure 1, but with the paravane floating in a different wave form, and Figure 3 shows a preferred profile or hull shape of the paravane.

In Figure 1 a vessel 1 is towing air guns 2 which in a manner known per se are supplied with compressed air through a hose 3 extending between the vessel 1 and the air guns 2. The air guns are fired according to a certain program and the propagation pattern of the sound waves form the basis for evaluating the structure of the sea bed. Experience has shown that a number of for example seven guns per paravane give a satisfactory sound pulse shape, provided that one knows at the firing instant where the guns are located in the water. It is difficult to determine this with the previously known arrange¬ ments of such air guns when there are wave formations on the water surface. Even small waves lead to changes in the posi¬ tion of the air guns independently of each other, with accom¬ panying unfavourable effects, as explained above.

According to the invention the air guns 2 are suspended from a buoyant body 4 which may be an elongate float of sufficient buoyancy, and each air gun is attached to the buoyant body by means of a line 5. In the example shown the buoyant body is a good 20 meters long and is towed behind the vessel 1 in a line 6 which along a portion of its length may be combined with the hose 3. Advantageously the buoyant body 4 may be shaped as a paravane because then it is able to follow the vessel 1 laterally with respect thereto, and there may be employed two or more paravanes on each side of the vessel. By firing simultaneously for example four series of air guns there is obtained a sound wave pattern which is an advantage for the investigations. The paravane 4 with associated air guns 2 will have a more quiet movement in the sea than air guns being suspended each in a separate buoy. In Figure 1 there is an indication of small sea waves which would have a disturbing effect on the previously known arrangements, but which in the case of the paravane according to the invention, give satisfactory results.

Also in the case of increasing wave length, in particular in the case of ocean swells which are often present, the air guns 2 with the arrangement according to the invention, will have a more correct movement in the sea, which is shown in

Figure 2. All air guns beneath the buoyant body will be aligned and will have substantially the same depth under the water surface.

Figure 3 shows the hull shape of a paravane as a sub¬ stantially triangular profile. There is indicated a water surface 10 with the deck 13 of the paravane lying a small distance above the water surface, so that there will be a rather low-free-board. The deck 13 is shown as being mainly plane, and one side face 12 of the hull forms an approximate right angle with the deck 13. The other side face 11 forms an acute angle with the first side face, so that the depth D of the hull will be substantially larger than the width W thereof. With a length of for example 20 m as mentioned above, the width may be 0,35 m and the depth 0,75 m. The unsymmetry of the hull profile serves to facilitate the towing out laterally with respect to the vessel, as mentioned above.

An extended part 15 projects laterally from the deck 13 above the side faces 11 and 12. This projecting part is advan¬ tageous inter alia for the stability of the paravane, since it constitutes a buoyant reserve. It is obvious that such a pro¬ jecting part may be formed only on one side of the hull, and in such case above the more vertical side face 11.

With the hull shape shown, which has a large depth in relation to its width and narrowing downwardly, it is obtained in principle that the immersed or wetted surface of the hull is subject to a minimum of variations in operation, which means that the paravane or buoyant body is subjected to the least possible undesired movements or accelerations which may result in variation of the air gun positions. Having this in mind it is also of substantial importance that the towing line from the vessel is attached directly to the buoyant body, as will appear from Figure 1, and not to the air guns, as hitherto has been usual in seismic prospecting.

The anchoring of towing line 6 to the buoyant body 4 according to Figure 1 is effected via two steel wire pieces 7 and 8 which facilitate the towing of the buoyant body laterally with respect to the vessel.

The example shown only serves to illustrate the inven¬ tion and does not constitute any limitation of the pro¬ tection afforded by this patent, since there may well be thought of other embodiments than a continuous, floating

body. For example there may be designed some form of a rigid carrier from which the air guns are suspended and which is maintained at an appropriate level in the sea by two or more floats which float in the surface, and each of which preferably is shaped as a buoyant body according to the above.

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