Anisotropic field of background internal waves on a sea shelf and its effect on low-frequency sound propagation

The space-time spectral characteristics of the field of background internal waves (IW) are obtained for two oceanic shelf regions (the Atlantic shelf of the United States and the Kamchatka shelf) and analyzed. Within the framework of a numerical experiment, it is shown that the observed anisotropy of the IW field may considerably affect the low-frequency sound fluctuations in the aforementioned regions and, in particular, may change the interference invariant of the sound field.     

On the Possibility of using Vertical Receiving Arrays for Underwater Acoustic Communication on the Arctic Shelf

Acoustical Physics - Numerical simulation is applied to analyze the possibilities of using vertical receiving arrays covering the entire waveguide for underwater acoustic communication on the...     

Variability of the vertical interference structure of the sound field in a shallow sea

Dynamics of the spectral intensity oscillations that occur in the vertical plane because of the time variability of the medium along the propagation path is described. The errors arising in measuring the frequency shifts of the interference structure are considered. For low-frequency broadband signals received on a stationary propagation path, experimental data on the shifts of their frequency spectra due to the variation of the reception depth are presented. The number of interfering modes and their arrival directions in the vertical plane are estimated from the measured frequency shifts of the spectral intensity oscillation.     

Effect of random hydrodynamic inhomogeneities on low frequency sound propagation loss in shallow water

Low frequency (100–500 Hz) sound propagation loss on the US Atlantic continental shelf and in the Barents Sea in the presence of stochastic surface waves, and for the US Atlantic shelf also in the presence of internal waves, is studied for the range of up to 150 km by means of numerical simulations. Qualitative difference between sound propagation loss behavior on the US Atlantic shelf and in the Barents Sea is demonstrated for summertime conditions even without random inhomogeneities. It is shown that whereas internal waves have a weak effect on propagation loss, surface waves result in its considerable increase in both areas under wintertime conditions with a wind speed of more than 9 m/s.     

Focusing of low-frequency sound fields in shallow water

A numerical experiment is carried out to study the focusing of a low-frequency (100–300 Hz) sound field in a shallow-water acoustic waveguide typical of an oceanic shelf. Focusing with the use of time reversal of broadband acoustic signals, which is called time reversal mirror (TRM) of waves, is considered along with focusing by phase conjugation (PC) of a monochromatic sound field. It is demonstrated that, in the case of focusing by the TRM method in the waveguide of interest, it is sufficient to have a single source-receiving element. The use of a vertical array improves the quality of focusing. The quality achieved in the latter case proves to be approximately the same as that achieved in the case of focusing by phase conjugation of a monochromatic field at a frequency identical to the carrier frequency of the broadband signals. It is also shown that, in a range-independent waveguide, intense surface waves considerably reduce the quality of focusing. This effect is most pronounced in the case of using phase conjugation.     

Frequency shifts of the sound field interference pattern in shallow water because of second-mode soliton-like internal waves

Numerical simulation is carried out to analyze the effect of an internal soliton of the second gravity mode on low-frequency sound propagation in an oceanic shelf region. The simulation is performed using the data of a full-scale experiment performed on the shelf of the South China Sea near Dongsha atoll, where the aforementioned solitons had been detected by stationary vertical thermistor arrays. The calculations take into account the effect of horizontal refraction of sound waves. It is assumed that a stationary acoustic track is oriented across the predominant propagation direction of internal waves. The results of simulation show that, when the soliton crosses the stationary track, some of the sound field modes are focused, whereas other modes are defocused. It is demonstrated that the soliton parameters can be adequately determined from the frequency shifts of the sound field interference pattern. However, such an estimate of the soliton parameters is only possible for a limited length of the stationary track for which the effect of horizontal refraction is sufficiently weak.     

Acoustic Parameters of the Bottom In Lake Baikal

A technique for estimating the effective acoustic parameters of the bottom in shallow water areas under ice cover has been developed. The methodology compares the experimental and simulated dependences of the sound field amplitude on depth at a distance from the source about an order of magnitude greater than the depth of the water area. The effective parameters are the values of the sound speed in the bottom, density, and attenuation coefficient of acoustic waves, which provide maximum agreement with experimental data in the calculations. The methodology was tested in a field experiment on Lake Baikal and can be recommended for developing autonomous acoustic monitoring systems.

     

Assessing the Possibilities of Identifying Bowhead Whales on the Arctic Shelf

Acoustical Physics - Real recordings of bowhead whale signals and numerical simulation were used to investigate the propagation of such signals in an Arctic-type shallow-water waveguide. The...     

Effect of noise on the accuracy of measuring variations in the mean shallow-sea temperature, based on the data on focal-spot frequency shifts

The possibility of observing large-scale changes in the hydrology of a shallow-water waveguide, based on the data on frequency shifts of conjugate wave field maximum, is analyzed. The field focusing at the observation point is controlled by changing the radiation frequency. The error in measuring variations in the mean temperature at different signal-to-noise ratios is estimated.     

Determination of the Absorbing and Scattering Properties of the Sea Floor in a Shallow Water Environment by the Spectra of Wide-Band Signals

Sound propagation in a shallow sea is considered within the framework of the two-component model of the sea floor. The porosity and the coefficients of absorption and volume scattering are treated as the parameters characterizing the sea floor. These parameters are determined on the basis of the comparison between the experimental and theoretical frequency spectra of a signal received from a wide-band source. A conclusion is made about the relative contributions of different mechanisms of losses (absorption or scattering) in the sea floor at different sound frequencies.