Amplitude and Spectral Characteristics of Low Grazing Angle Acoustic Backscatter

Abstract

Acoustic backscattering from the sea surface at grazing angles in the region of 5 degrees is affected by shadowing. Under these conditions the equations presented by Bass, Fuks, et al. (IEEE Transactions on Antennas and Propagation, vol. AP-16, no. 5, Sept. 1968) may be combined to form a single equation. The agreement between experimental data near 1kHz and the unified equations is good. The frequency shift of the backscattered acoustic energy is dependent on wave height and period through the horizontal orbital particle velocity. The frequency spread of backscattered energy is still dependent on the same particle velocity but is diminished because the wave troughs are preferentially insonified. The experimentally determined values of backscattering strength compare favorably with other reported low frequency, low grazing angle data. Keywords include: Acoustic Shadowing, Azimuthal Reverberation, Backscatter Spectra, Distant Reverberation, Doppler Shift, and Low Frequency Active Sonar.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Feb 17, 1987
Accession Number
ADA178108

Entities

People

  • Paul D. Koenigs

Organizations

  • Naval Underwater Systems Center

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Energy and Power Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Abstracts
  • Backscattering
  • Bragg Scattering
  • Convergence Zones (Sonar)
  • Doppler Effect
  • Equations
  • Experimental Data
  • Frequency
  • Frequency Shift
  • Grazing
  • Grazing Angles
  • Measurement
  • Ocean Waves
  • Oceanography
  • Particles
  • Scattering
  • Waves

Fields of Study

  • Physics

Readers

  • Acoustical Oceanography.
  • Atmospheric Science / Meteorology, specifically Wind Wave Turbulence.
  • Radar Systems Engineering.

Technology Areas

  • Space