Acoustic vector sensor analysis of the Monterey Bay region soundscape and the impact of COVID-19
Abstract
From February 2019 through January 2021, data were collected by an acoustic vector sensor moored on the seafloor at a depth of approximately 900 m just outside of Monterey Bay, California, near a major shipping lane off the California coast. Analysis of the vector sensor data has shown the ability to accurately determine bearings to merchant vessels at ranges up to 60 km. This paper examines the features of the low-frequency soundscape using spectral probability densities and evaluates directional features through vector intensity processing as well as coherent linear and adaptive processing of the vector sensor channels. Merchant vessel acoustic data were analyzed using the 1/3 octave band centered at 63 Hz. Over the period analyzed, a reduction in merchant vessel noise was observed between February and June 2020 relative to the same period in 2019, consistent with a reduction in vessel traffic due to the worldwide response to COVID-19. The directional features of the data evaluated through adaptive processing methods also suggest this reduction can be most clearly distinguished towards the south, where the shipping lane is limited to transiting vessels, rather to the north-northwest, where merchant vessels tend to congregate on approach into the San Francisco Bay area.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Pub Defense Publication
- Publication Date
- Apr 01, 2022
- Source ID
- 10.1121/10.0010162
Entities
People
- Benjamin Cray
- Chris Miller
- Craig Dawe
- John E. Joseph
- John P. Ryan
- Kevin B. Smith
- Paul Leary
- Thomas Deal
Organizations
- Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute
- National Science Foundation
- Naval Postgraduate School
- Naval Undersea Warfare Center
- Office of Naval Research