Path-Length Stability of the Ocean, Inferred from Ocean Temperature Measurements
Abstract
In an extensive ocean test at the Atlantic Undersea Test and Evaluation Center (AUTEC), fluctuations of acoustic path length were found to be no more than 0.001 meter rms for periods of 1 minute over a vertical path extending from an ocean depth of 60 to 320 meters. The measurements showed that the ocean is sufficiently stable to allow sophisticated coherent signal processing as would be necessary for synthetic aperture sonar at moderate frequencies (2OkHz). Path-length stability was inferred from continuous measurements of the ocean temperature profile determined by a 20-element temperature array suspended from a research vessel. Time-dependent temperature fluctuations remained after the recorded temperature was compensated for changes in depth of the array.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- May 01, 1974
- Accession Number
- AD0787509
Entities
People
- D. W. Stowe
- F. C. Paddison
Organizations
- Johns Hopkins University