Explore the Energy Glossary

Look up terms beginning with:

acoustic

1. adj. [Geophysics]

Pertaining to sound. Generally, acoustic describes sound or vibrational events, regardless of frequency. The term sonic is limited to frequencies and tools operated in the frequency range of 1 to 25 kilohertz.

See related terms: acoustic coupler,  acoustic log,  bel,  decibel,  elastic wave,  hertz,  side-scan sonar,  synthetic seismogram,  transit time,  velocity

Plot of range versus resolution of various geophysical data.

2. adj. [Geophysics]

In geophysics, acoustic refers specifically to P-waves in the absence of S-waves (i.e., in fluids, which do not support S-waves, or in cases in which S-waves in solids are ignored).

See related terms: P-wave,  S-wave