METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR TUNING THE RISE TIME OF THE INITIAL PULSE OF AN AIR GUN

An air gun intended for use in generating seismic energy impulses, i.e. acoustical waves, in a body of water that provides improved performance by adjusting the length of the firing chamber in order to tune the rise time from zero pressure to peak pressure and to increase or decrease the slope of the initial pulse. By selecting the length of the firing chamber, the rise time of the initial pulse is tuned to increase low frequencies and reduce objectionable high frequencies to help in mitigating damage to marine life and the marine environment and to provide greater penetration of the seismic signal through for example basalt and sub-basalt structures.