Cardiff University, United Kingdom

Petrophysical properties (wet bulk density, porosity, P-wave velocity) are used to predict biogenic silica contents along a seismic reflection profile that ties two well sites, 1095 and 1096, drilled by Ocean Drilling Program (ODP) Leg 178 on sediment drifts on the Pacific continental margin of the Antarctic Peninsula. The biogenic silica contents along the seismic reflection profile were estimated on the basis of three hypotheses about petrophysical properties distributions in the two boreholes and statistical relationships between biogenic silica and other petrophysical properties. Our study demonstrates the possibility to reliably predict the distribution of biogenic silica in the sub-seabed sediments if seismic data processed with amplitude preservation are used and statistical relations are considered. (mod. journ. abst.)