Underwater Detonations at the Silver Strand Training Complex: Effects on Marine Mammals

Abstract

The Commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet is preparing an environmental impact statement (EIS) for activities at the Silver Strand Training Complex (SSTC). Training often involves the use of small explosives for various purposes, such as to disable underwater mines or defend ports. Explosions release very brief, intense sound energy with spectral characteristics spanning a wide band of frequencies. As a part of the SSTC EIS development, a quantitative analysis of sound impacts on marine mammals was performed to facilitate preparation of a Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) Letter of Authorization for SSTC training activities. That analysis, described in this report, provides a conservative estimate of exposures of marine mammals impacted by the underwater detonations, which are a required component for training combat forces under realistic conditions.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Apr 30, 2009
Accession Number
ADA509185

Entities

People

  • Glenn H. Mitchell
  • Stephen A. Jordan
  • Tiffini J. Brookens

Organizations

  • Naval Undersea Warfare Center

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Biomedical

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Acoustic Properties
  • Acoustic Waves
  • Ear
  • Environment
  • Explosions
  • Explosives
  • Habitats
  • Hearing Loss
  • Marine Mammals
  • Medical Personnel
  • Odontocetes
  • Predictive Modeling
  • Seabed
  • Two Dimensional
  • Undersea Warfare
  • Underwater Explosions
  • Unmanned Underwater Vehicles

Fields of Study

  • Environmental science

Readers

  • Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) of Proposed Air Force Base Actions.
  • Marine Mammal Biology