On the exponent in the power law for the attenuation at low frequencies in sandy sediments

Shallow water transmission loss measurements yield intrinsic attenuation estimates for acoustic waves in the underlying sediment, with results that are consistent with attenuation being proportional to frequency raised to a power n, with n between 1.6 and 1.87. Plausible theory suggests that n should be identically 2. The discrepancy can be explained because the inverse analysis inferences were made with the neglect of an additional attenuation mechanism where generated lower velocity shear waves carry energy downwards out of the waveguide. The shear wave effect has a weaker dependence on frequency than the intrinsic attenuation, so the apparent exponent is shifted downward.