Limitations of Sound Propagation in the Ocean: The Curtain Effect

Abstract

Although initially very high, the rate of spreading loss decreased rapidly with range, while the rate of attenuation remains constant for a given frequency. At increasing ranges the two loss curves cross, with attenuation becoming the dominant mechanism. This results in a 'curtain effect' due to rapidly increasing propagation loss. Examples are given of convergence zones obtainable as a function of frequency for various oceans and of the transition between near range and distant ambient noise. Keywords: Acoustic attenuation.; Sound propagation.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Mar 05, 1987
Accession Number
ADA178060

Entities

People

  • David G. Browning
  • John J. Hanrahan
  • Raymond J. Christian
  • Robert H. Mellen

Organizations

  • Naval Underwater Systems Center

Tags

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Abstracts
  • Acoustic Attenuation
  • Acoustic Phenomena
  • Acoustics
  • Ambient Noise
  • Attenuation
  • Classification
  • Convergence
  • Convergence Zones (Sonar)
  • Frequency
  • Losses
  • Noise
  • Oceanography
  • Oceans
  • Pacific Ocean
  • Security
  • Underwater Sound

Readers

  • Mathematics or Statistics
  • Oceanography.
  • Radar Systems Engineering.