Seismic source

Seismic source for marine reflection surveys. Pressurized air releases a pulse of acoustic energy. This pulse penetrates and bounces off of the seafloor and its subsurface at varying speeds, depending on the kind of rock, sand, mud, or discontinuous layers that it hits. Receivers listen for the return pulses and record them, generating a cross-section of the subsurface beneath the seafloor. This cross-sectional reflection reveals the shape of subsurface material including the locations of faults and buried channels that would not otherwise be visible.