NT-23-11: Substrate-Borne Vibroacoustic Disturbances from Offshore Wind Construction: Measurements, Physical Characteristics, and Propagation

This proposed study is to make measurements and investigate the physical characteristics and propagation of substrate-borne mechanical waves through seabed from offshore wind facility construction and operations. Although environmental impacts from substrate-borne particle motion from pile driving have been widely recognized as potential major effects on marine benthic organisms, very little research has been conducted to address these types of vibroacoustic disturbances. Therefore, information is critically needed concerning the physics and propagation of vibroacoustic disturbances from such activities. In addition, this study would explore additional data collection methods and identify the most appropriate geoacoustic sensor(s) to obtain substrate-borne vibroacoustic signals at different ranges and layers of the sediment, and to develop source and propagation to predict impact zones.Furthermore, though this study is proposed to address substrate-borne vibroacoustic characteristics and propagation from offshore wind farm construction and operations, results from this study have wide application for many marine engineering activities that are coupled with seabed, such as construction and operations of marine energy converters, subsea drilling and dredging, offshore structure removal, and deep-sea mining.