Application of Underwater MASW and Acoustic Methods in the Assessment of Sub-seabed Conditions Prior to Construction of the Manifa Causeway, Saudi Arabia

Abstract

The offshore Gulf Region is known to have caprock layer within the first 0-5m of ground below the seabed. It varies in thickness from a few centimetres to two or three metres in thickness. Caprock is predominantly a Gulf regional phenomenon forming in shallow coastal areas where there are small tidal movements and water circulation. It is typically a cemented Limestone anhydrite with a matrix of small shells and calcarenite.