Abdullah Ali Ali Hussein, Khalid Latif, Handoyo Handoyo
Shear-wave velocity is an important parameter characterizing the physical properties of marine sediments. Understanding the behavior of shear-wave velocity in seafloor surface sediments is critical for interpreting underwater sound propagation, predicting shallow-sea sound fields, and evaluating geomechanical characteristics in marine engineering. Well-logging data obtained from 78 sites across 36 legs of the Ocean Drilling Program/International Ocean Discovery Program (ODP/IODP) were used to analyze shear-wave velocity and Vp/Vs ratios, as well as their controlling factors. Results indicate that the depositional environment plays a significant role in influencing the shear-wave velocity and Vp/Vs ratios of marine sediments. Specifically, sediments from carbonate platforms, continental slopes, and continental rises generally exhibit higher shear-wave velocities and lower Vp/Vs ratios compared to those from abyssal plains, deep-water turbidites, and other deep-water environments. Lithofacies and physical compaction also strongly influence shear-wave velocity and Vp/Vs ratios. Diatomaceous sediments tend to have lower shear-wave velocities and higher Vp/Vs ratios compared to calcareous and terrigenous sediments. The Vp/Vs ratio sharply drops from 8 to less than 2 with increasing shear-wave velocity, indicating sensitivity to physical compaction. We propose empirical models that capture the relationship between the Vp/Vs ratio and shear-wave velocity for different lithofacies, with R² values exceeding 0.90. © The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V. 2026.
School of Marine Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China; State Key Laboratory of Marine Geology, Tongji University, Shanghai, China; Geophysical Engineering, Institut Teknologi SumateraTerusan Ryacudu Street, South Lampung, Indonesia; National of Centre of Excellence in Geology, University of Peshawar, Peshawar, 25130, Pakistan