Source-less marine seismic imaging using vessel noise: a feasibility study in the Port of Trieste, north east Italy

Marine seismic reflection experiments typically use a towed streamer and impulsive acoustic sources (such as airguns, sparkers or boomers) to image sub-seafloor acoustic reflectivity. These sources emit high amplitude, short period signals designed to achieve good resolution and penetration. This causes correspondingly high Peak Sound Levels that can in some cases adversely affect marine fauna and contribute to background ocean noise. In recent years this has led to increasing environmental restrictions on seismic surveying, in addition to the existing operational complexity and cost of using active sources.