Characterization of the Variability of the Ocean Acoustic Environment
Abstract
Great strides have been made in the ability to model and predict oceanography (temperature, salinity, currents, etc.) accurately and in a timely manner. There exists a need to characterize the variability of the ocean based on its acoustic propagation characteristics. That is, how and where does the evolution or variability of the environment significantly impact the acoustic propagation characteristics of an oceanographic waveguide? Due to the complexity of the acoustic propagation in a waveguide, variability in the oceanography is not always indicative of the variability in the acoustic propagation. For example, a significant change in temperature in an area may not significantly impact the acoustic propagation in the area. There is also a limit on the ability to sense the oceanography. Sensor availability and coverage, as well as time put constraints on efforts to measure a large ocean area. The work presented here shows that analysis of acoustic variability computed using predicted oceanography over an area provides a better insight into the oceanographic variability for the purposes of sensor placement.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 2007
- Accession Number
- ADA519979
Entities
People
- J. P. Fabre
- Steven M. Dennis
Organizations
- United States Naval Research Laboratory