Abstract: The embodiments herein describe a seismic source that includes at least two firing heads connected to a shared reservoir of compressed gas. When underwater, a controller can instruct the firing heads to fire at the same time or at different times to create gas bubbles that generate seismic energy for identifying structures underneath a body of water. If the firing heads fire at the same, the resulting gas bubble may coalesce to form a single bubble, depending on the size of the respective bubbles and the separation distance between the firing heads. In one embodiment, the firing heads are attached at opposite ends of the shared reservoir (although this is not a requirement). The length of the reservoir, which dictates in part the separation distance of the firing heads, can be set so that gas bubbles generated by the firing heads at substantially the same time coalesce.

Abstract: The embodiments herein describe a seismic source that includes at least two firing heads connected to a shared reservoir of compressed gas. When underwater, a controller can instruct the firing heads to fire at the same time or at different times to create gas bubbles that generate seismic energy for identifying structures underneath a body of water. If the firing heads fire at the same, the resulting gas bubble may coalesce to form a single bubble, depending on the size of the respective bubbles and the separation distance between the firing heads. In one embodiment, the firing heads are attached at opposite ends of the shared reservoir (although this is not a requirement). The length of the reservoir, which dictates in part the separation distance of the firing heads, can be set so that gas bubbles generated by the firing heads at substantially the same time coalesce.

Abstract: A system for seismic data acquisition has been invented having, in certain aspects, one or multiple distributed data acquisition subsystems that are independent of energy source controller and/or of navigation system operation. Thus the distributed acquisition system(s) do not require a complicated and burdensome interface to the energy source controller or navigation systems. The seismic data acquisition system supplies a continuous flow of data which is buffered within a centralized data repository for short term storage until required by non-real-time processes. A seismic data acquisition method has been invented that replaces conventional closely coupled interaction between seismic acquisition systems and the energy source controller and the navigation systems by utilizing GPS time stamps on both the data as well as cycling events of the energy source controller and/or navigation systems to insure precise association of seismic data with cycling events.