High frequency broad band scattering from water-saturated granular sediments: Scaling effects

Sound backscattering from water-saturated granular sediments at frequencies from 150 kHz to 8 MHz at oblique incidence was studied in controlled laboratory conditions. Two kinds of sediments, medium and coarse sands, were degassed, and their surface was flattened. In these conditions, the sediment granular structure can be considered as a controlling mechanism of backscattering. Comparison of frequency dependencies of backscatter for the two sediments with different mean grain size shows the existence of a persistent scaling effect that allows description of the backscattering strength as a function of one parameter, the mean grain size/wavelength ratio.