Patent ID: 7539081

Claim:
A seabed resource exploration system, comprising: a transmitter ( 1 ) configured to transmit a sound wave into the sea; a receiver ( 1 ) configured to receive a scattered wave in which the sound wave is reflected on a boundary surface between seawater and a mixture of methane gas and methane hydrate, the mixture exists in the seawater; and an analyzer ( 17 ) configured to determine an existence of the methane hydrate in a seabed immediately under the mixture when backscattering strength, calculated by the transmitted sound wave and the received scattered wave, is in a predetermined relationship, wherein the predetermined relationship is that a maximum value of the backscattering strength is −60 to −30 dB and an average value of the backscattering strength is −70 to −50 dB, the backscattering strength is on a grid obtained by cutting the mixture into round slices in the depth direction by a predetermined width, in a range from the seabed to a predetermined height.