Particle motion sensor-based streamer positioning system

1. A method comprising:

disposing a particle motion sensor on a spread of at least one towed streamer;

using the particle motion sensor to acquire a measurement of a signal transmitted from an acoustic transmitter, the measurement representing orthogonal particle motions; and

based at least in part on the orthogonal particle motions, determining a heading of at least one measurement axis of the particle motion sensor, wherein determining the heading comprises:

based at least in part on the measurement, determining a first direction of the signal in a local reference system; and

determining the heading based at least in part on the first direction and a second direction of the signal in a global reference system.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

using the particle motion sensor to acquire at least one additional measurement of a signal transmitted from at least one additional acoustic transmitter,

wherein the act of determining is further based at least in part on said at least one additional measurement.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

determining a slope of the at least one streamer based at least in part on the measurement.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the act of determining comprises assuming a substantially straight line of sound propagation between the acoustic transmitter and the sensor.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the act of disposing comprises disposing electromagnetic sensors or seismic sensors on the spread.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

towing the spread.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

disposing additional particle motion sensors on the spread;

using said additional particle motion sensors to acquire measurements of signals transmitted from additional acoustic transmitters; and

based at least in part of the measurements acquired by said additional particle motion sensors, determining headings of the additional particle motion sensors.

8. An apparatus comprising

an interface to receive data indicative of a measurement of a signal transmitted from an acoustic transmitter, the measurement representing at least two orthogonal particle motions acquired by a particle motion sensor disposed on a spread of at least one towed streamer; and

a processor to process the data to:

based at least in part on the particle motions, determine a first direction of the signal in a local reference system; and

determine the heading based at least in part on the first direction and a second direction of the signal in a global reference system.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the processor is further adapted to determine a slope of the at least one streamer based at least in part on the measurement.

10. The apparatus of claim 8 , further comprising:

a vessel to tow the spread of at least one streamer.

11. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the processor is disposed on the streamer.

12. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the spread comprises electromagnetic sensors or seismic sensors.