Abstract: A seismic streamer includes a jacket covering an exterior of the streamer. At least one strength member extends along the length of the jacket, and is disposed inside the jacket. At least one seismic sensor is disposed is mounted in a respective sensor spacer affixed to the at least one strength member. The streamer include means for retaining the at least one sensor in the respective sensor spacer. The means for retaining provides acoustic isolation between the at least one sensor and the respective spacer.

Abstract: A seismic streamer includes a jacket covering an exterior of the streamer. At least one strength member extends along the length of the jacket. The strength member is disposed inside the jacket. At least one seismic sensor is disposed in an interior of the jacket. An acoustically transparent material fills void space in the interior of the jacket. At least one longitudinally compressible element is disposed at a selected position along the streamer. The longitudinally compressible element fills substantially all void space within a cross-section of the interior of the jacket to separate the material into two compartments, thus attenuating transmission of acoustic waves in the material across the element.

Abstract: In one embodiment the invention comprises a particle velocity sensor that includes a housing with a geophone mounted in the housing. A fluid that substantially surrounds the geophone is included within the housing. The particle velocity sensor has an acoustic impedance within the range of about 750,000 Newton seconds per cubic meter (Ns/m3) to about 3,000,000 Newton seconds per cubic meter (Ns/m3). In another embodiment the invention comprises method of geophysical exploration in which a seismic signal is generated in a body of water and detected with a plurality of co-located particle velocity sensors and pressure gradient sensors positioned within a seismic cable. The output signal of either or both of the particle velocity sensors or the pressure gradient sensors is modified to substantially equalize the output signals from the particle velocity sensors and the pressure gradient sensors. The output signals from particle velocity sensors and pressure gradient sensors are then combined.

Abstract: A marine seismic streamer has a hydrophone housing positioned in the streamer with the hydrophone housing having ends and rigid side walls, a hydrophone positioned in the hydrophone housing, a soft compliant solid material filling the housing, and openings in the hydrophone housing adapted to substantially permit passage of pressure waves and to substantially attenuate passage of shear waves. Another embodiment is a hydrophone housing having ends, rigid side walls, and openings in the hydrophone housing adapted to substantially permit passage of pressure waves and to substantially attenuate passage of shear waves. The openings are open ends of the housing, in the side walls of the housing, in the end walls of the housing, or in both the side walls and end walls of the housing.

Abstract: An apparatus is disclosed for determining particle motion in a body of water. The apparatus includes a cable adapted to be towed in the water by a vessel. A first sensor responsive to particle motion in the water is coupled to the cable. A second sensor responsive to particle motion is disposed proximate the first sensor. The second sensor is arranged such that its sensitive axis is disposed at a substantially constant displacement with respect to a sensitive axis of the first sensor. The apparatus also includes means for determining an orientation of at least one of the first and second sensors with respect to Earth's gravity.

Abstract: A marine seismic streamer steering device comprises at least two hinged sections pivotally coupled to each other and connected between two adjacent sections of the seismic streamer, and a bend control unit that controls bending of the hinged sections relative to the longitudinal axis of the seismic streamer. The steering device further comprises a roll sensor which determines rotational orientation of the body and transmits the orientation to the bend control unit, a lateral position sensor which determines lateral position of the body and transmits the lateral position to the bend control unit, and a depth sensor which determines depth of the body and transmits the depth to the bend control unit. The bend control unit then controls the bending of the hinged sections based on the transmitted rotational orientation, lateral position, and depth of the body.

Abstract: Signals of pressure sensors and particle motion sensors located in marine seismic streamers are combined to generate pressure sensor data and particle motion data with substantially the same broad bandwidth. The noisy low frequency part of the motion signals are calculated from the recorded pressure signals and merged with the non-noisy motion signals. The two broad bandwidth data sets can then be combined to calculate the full up- and down-going wavefields.

Abstract: A seismic sensor is disclosed which includes at least one particle motion sensor, and a sensor jacket adapted to be moved through a body of water. The particle motion sensor is suspended within the sensor jacket by at least one biasing device. In one embodiment, a mass of the sensor and a force rate of the biasing device are selected such that a resonant frequency of the sensor within the sensor jacket is within a predetermine range.