When it comes to seismic surveys, having both boomer and sparker tools on board can make all the difference. By switching between them, you get a complete seismic profile, revealing features with different resolutions and penetrations, depending on the seabed material's frequency response.

Off the coast of Dieppe, in the English Channel, rough seas challenged our seismic acquisition. However, the boomer's 2 ms resolution revealed lenticular facies of probable fine sands—something that didn’t appear on the sparker profile with its lower 4 ms resolution. Confirmation will come with drillings.

Testing in controlled environments is crucial for capturing clean, accurate acoustic signatures. Ponds offer an ideal setting with minimal ambiant noise, but not all water bodies are suitable due to interference. The depth must be sufficient to allow the signal to reach the calibrated hydrophone without reflecting off surounding walls or the bottom.

We tested our boomer transducers in 40-meter deep Quilly Pond, an old quarry located east of Lorient. This environment provided the perfect conditions to ensure high quality data and performance validation.

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The high impulse currents generated by our sparkers are the heart of seismic reflection technology. When the potential difference between the electrodes creates spectacular discharges, a visible spark forms, generating currents up to 2000 A. This ionisation creates a plasma bubble, the starting point of an acoustic wave. 

This omnidirectional impulse, with a wide frequency band ranging from 50Hz to 5kHz depending on the energy used, penetrates several tens or even hundreds of meters into the seabed, enabling precise subbottom analysis. 

SIG France, in collaboration with Kappa Offshore Solutions, conducted sea trials of the Sparker source as part of the PIKSEL UHR3D project. The test were performed aboard of the 37-meter ALMA KAPPA tug vessel from Alta Marine, which provided ample deck space for the SIG sources. 

The goal was to compare the Sparker source signature in standard surface conditions with its signature when immersed at depths of 2 meters and 4 meters. A Near Field Hydrophone was positioned 1 meter below the source, and a Far Field Hydrophone was placed 5 meters below the surface to capture data. 

Thanks to the team Kappa Offshore Solutions for their expertise in the immersion procedure and the stabilisation of the SIG catamarans during trials. 

These trials were essential in advancing our understanding of Sparker performance under various immersion depths. 

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We're thrilled to share that ou SIG PULSE L5 2000 Joules system is now being used for the first time on the icebreaker Oden, currently on an expedition in North Greenland. This groundbreaking project, led by the brilliant team from Stockholms university , is pushing the boundaries of geophysical research in one of the most challenging environments on Earth. 

Martin Jakobson, Co-Chief Scientist of the expedition and professor of marine geology and geophysics, shared his thoughts on the mission : "We have used the system a couple of times, very difficult to find the right conditions as we are in the heavily ice-infested areas in the Arctic, North Greenland.