Spatial structure of the coherence parameter of the sound field in an irregular arctic waveguide

Results of numerical simulation of the total and coherent sound fields and the coherence parameter for a multimode acoustic signal excited by a monochromatic sound source and propagating in an irregular arctic waveguide are presented. Expressions used as the basis for the algorithm of the sound field calculation by the method of coupled normal modes are given. Both regular and stochastic sound scattering by horizontal inhomogeneities of the bottom, water medium, and ice cover are taken into account. It is found that, in the course of sound propagation in an arctic waveguide, an anomalous variation of the energy coherence parameter of the sound field as a function of distance is observed. This variation manifests itself in the form of local peaks of the field coherence parameter. This fact should be taken into account in both the measurements of the ice cover characteristics by acoustic methods and the evaluation of the efficiency of the operation of receiving arrays.     

Geoacoustic inversion for bottom parameters in a thermocline environment in the northern area of the South China Sea

Bottom acoustic parameters have important influence on the application of underwater acoustic propagation and source location.The acoustic parameters of the seabed in the northern of the South China Sea(SCS) were inversed using the experiment data from an acoustic experiment in 2015.Based on the comprehensive analysis of the influence of the sound speed fluctuation and the geoacoustic model on seabed inversion,the multi-parameter hybrid acoustic inversion scheme is improved by selecting the equi...     

The impact of water column variability on horizontal wave number estimation and mode based geoacoustic inversion results

The influence of water column variability on low-frequency, shallow water geoacoustic inversion results is considered. The data are estimates of modal eigenvalues obtained from measurements of a point source acoustic field using a horizontal aperture array in the water column. The inversion algorithm is based on perturbations to a background waveguide model with seabed properties consistent with the measured eigenvalues. Water column properties in the background model are assumed to be known, as would be obtained from conductivity, temperature, and depth measurements. The scope of this work in addressing the impact of water column variability on inversion is twofold. Range-dependent propagation effects as they pertain to eigenvalue estimation are first considered. It is shown that mode coupling is important even for weak internal waves and can enhance modal eigenvalue estimates. Second, the effect of the choice of background sound speed profile in the water column is considered for its impact on the estimated bottom acoustic properties. It is shown that a range-averaged sound velocity profile yields the best geoacoustic parameter estimates.     

一种低声速沉积层海底参数声学反演方法

软泥底环境下沉积层参数的声学反演是国际水声领域的一个研究热点.浅海中,当高声速基底和海水之间存在一层低声速(小于海水声速)的沉积层时,小掠射角情况下不同频率声传播损失会出现周期性增大现象.基于此现象,提出一种适用于低声速沉积层的海底参数声学反演方法.首先,推导给出小掠射角情况下传播损失周期增大的频率间隔与沉积层声速、厚度及近海底海水声速之间的解析表达式;其次,利用一次黄海实验中软泥底环境下的宽带声传播信号,提取了小掠射角下传播损失增大的频率周期;再次,把该解析表达式作为约束条件,结合Hamilton密度与声速的经验公式,采用匹配场处理反演给出沉积层的声速、密度、厚度及基底的声速、密度;然后,利用声传播损失数据反演得到泥底环境下不同频率的声衰减系数,通过拟合发现泥底声衰减系数随频率近似呈线性关系;最后,给出了双层海底模型和半无限大海底模型等效性的讨论.反演结果为低声速沉积层海底声传播规律研究与应用提供了海底声学参数.     

南海北部负跃层环境下海底参数声学反演

利用2015年南海北部声学实验的实验数据,对海底声学参数进行反演。在综合分析声速起伏及海底模型对海底反演影响的基础上,通过选择等效的海水声速剖面和海底模型,改进了多参量联合地声反演方法,使得其不仅能解决反演中的多值性问题,还能适用于负跃层起伏环境下的声学反演。即当用匹配场反演海底声速和用传播损失反演海底衰减时,如果温跃层内有内波等随机起伏,可使用传播路径上平均声速剖面和单层等效海底进行声场计算。反演得到的海底声速和密度结果与海底采样测量符合较好,拟合给出了海底衰减系数随频率的非线性经验关系式。反演结果可为南海北部声传播规律研究与应用提供海底参数。      

利用气枪声源数据的地声参数反演*

本文通过对东海采集的气枪声源数据进行处理,基于地声参数对不同声场观测量的敏感性差异,利用分步反演的策略进行分析。首先选择距离接收阵七个不同的距离点数据,通过warping变换准确提取第三阶至第八阶简正波的频散曲线;利用海底声速对频散曲线敏感的特性来反演声速;由Hamilton经验公式求得海底密度;通过传播损失拟合获得海底衰减。不同距离点数据反演的海底声速与密度一致性较高。实验提取的频散曲线和和反演参数仿真结果、实验获取的传播损失与反演参数获得传播损失均拟合较好。     

Horizontal refraction of propagating sound due to seafloor scours over a range-dependent layered bottom on the New Jersey shelf

Three-dimensional propagation effects of low frequency sound from 100 to 400 Hz caused by seafloor topography and range-dependent bottom structure over a 20 km range along the New Jersey shelf are investigated using a hybrid modeling approach. Normal modes are used in the vertical dimension, and a parabolic-equation approximate model is applied to solve the horizontal refraction equation. Examination of modal amplitudes demonstrates the effect of environmental range dependence on modes trapped in the water column, modes interacting with the bottom, and modes trapped in the bottom. Using normal mode ray tracing, topographic features responsible for three-dimensional effects of horizontal refraction and focusing are identified. These effects are observed in the measurements from the Shallow Water 2006 experiment. Specifically, signals from a pair of fixed sources recorded on a horizontal line array sitting on the seafloor show an intensification caused by horizontal focusing due to the seabed topography of 4 dB along the array.     

Broadband sound propagation in shallow water and geoacoustic inversion

Part of an experiment to test a measurement package in a shallow water region in the Gulf of Mexico was designed to gather broadband acoustic data suitable for inversion to estimate seabed geoacoustic parameters. Continuous wave tow acoustic signals at multiple frequencies and broadband impulsive source signals were recorded on a horizontal line array in a high-noise environment. Simulated annealing with a normal mode forward propagation model is utilized to invert for a geoacoustic representation of the seabed. Several inversions are made from different data samples of two light bulb implosions, the measured sound speed profiles at the HLA and at the positions of the light bulb deployments, and for two different cost functions. The different cost functions, measured sound speed profiles, and measured time series result in different inverted geoacoustic profiles from which transmission loss is generated for comparison with measurements. On the basis of physical consistency and from the comparison of the transmission loss and time series, a best estimate geoacoustic profile is selected and compared to those obtained from previously reported inversions. Uncertainties in the sound speed profile are shown to affect the uncertainties of the estimated seabed parameters.     

Propagation in a waveguide with range-dependent seabed properties

The ocean environment contains features affecting acoustic propagation that vary on a wide range of time and space scales. A significant body of work over recent decades has aimed at understanding the effects of water column spatial and temporal variability on acoustic propagation. Much less is understood about the impact of spatial variability of seabed properties on propagation, which is the focus of this study. Here, a simple, intuitive expression for propagation with range-dependent boundary properties and uniform water depth is derived. It is shown that incoherent range-dependent propagation depends upon the geometric mean of the seabed plane-wave reflection coefficient and the arithmetic mean of the cycle distance. Thus, only the spatial probability distributions (pdfs) of the sediment properties are required. Also, it is shown that the propagation over a range-dependent seabed tends to be controlled by the lossiest, not the hardest, sediments. Thus, range-dependence generally leads to higher propagation loss than would be expected, due for example to lossy sediment patches and/or nulls in the reflection coefficient. In a few instances, propagation over a range-dependent seabed can be calculated using range-independent sediment properties. The theory may be useful for other (non-oceanic) waveguides.     

Low-frequency sound transmission through a gas-liquid interface

Typically, sound speed in gases is smaller and mass density is much smaller than in liquids, resulting in a very strong acoustic impedance contrast at a gas-liquid interface. Sound transmission through a boundary with a strong impedance contrast is normally very weak. This paper studies the power output of localized sound sources and acoustic power fluxes through a plane gas-liquid interface in a layered medium. It is shown that, for low-frequency sound, a phenomenon of anomalous transparency can occur where most of the acoustic power generated by a source in a liquid half-space can be radiated into a gas half-space. The main physical mechanism responsible for anomalous transparency is found to be an acoustic power transfer by inhomogeneous (evanescent) waves in the plane-wave decomposition of the acoustic field in the liquid. The effects of a liquid's stratification and of guided sound propagation in the liquid on the anomalous transparency of the gas-liquid interface are considered. Geophysical and biological implications of anomalous transparency of water-air interface to infrasound are indicated.     

可靠声路径传播特性及目标定位方法研究现状

作为深海中重要的声传播途径之一,可靠声路径声道下的环境噪声级较低,声速剖面变化和海底界面作用对其影响较小。此外,当接收水听器位于该声道下近海底水域时,可实现对近海面中近距离目标的无盲区监测。因此,可靠声路径必将成为一种重要的深海探测与定位途径。该文从可靠声路径的声传播特性着手,综合概述了可靠声路径声传播特性和相应目标定位技术方面的国内外研究现状,旨在回顾当前各项技术成果并展望基于可靠声路径的目标定位技术今后的发展趋势。     

浅海周期起伏海底环境下的声传播

海底粗糙对水下声传播及水声探测等应用具有重要影响.利用黄海夏季典型海洋环境,分析了同时存在海底周期起伏和强温跃层条件下的声传播特性,结果表明:由于海底周期起伏的存在,对于低频(<1 kHz)、近程(10 km)的声信号,传播损失可增大5—30 dB.总结了声传播损失及脉冲到达结构随声源深度、海底起伏周期及起伏高度等因素变化的规律.当海底起伏周期不变时,起伏高度越大引起的异常声传播的影响随之变大;当起伏高度不变时,随着起伏周期变大,其对声传播的影响逐渐变小.用射线理论分析了其影响机理,由于海底周期起伏改变了声波与海底的入射和反射角度,使得原本小掠射角入射到海底的声线变为大掠射角,导致海底的反射损失增大;另一方面,声线反射角度的改变会使得原本可以到达接收点的声能量,由于与海底作用次数增加或变为反向传播而大幅度衰减.在浅海负跃层环境下,声源位于跃层上比位于跃层下对声传播影响更大.周期起伏海底对脉冲声传播的影响表现在引起不同角度的声线(或简正波号数)之间的能量发生转化,一些大角度声线能量衰减加大,多途结构变少.多途结构到达时间及相对幅度的变化进而影响声场的频谱,会使得基于匹配场定位的方法性能受到影响.所以,声呐在实际浅海环境中应用时,应对起伏海底的影响予以重视.此外,研究结果对海底地形测绘空间精度的提高也具有重要参考意义.     

深海不平海底对声场水平纵向相关性的影响

海底地形变化对与海底作用的声反射区声场空间相关性有重要影响。利用南中国海某深海海域的一次声学实验数据,对深海海底反射区的声场空间相关性进行了分析。实验观测到,在距离声源约29 km至35 km距离范围处,不平海底环境下的水平纵向相关性出现了一些不同于平坦海底环境下的振荡结构,利用射线声学理论分析并解释了这两种不同海底环境产生水平纵向相关差异的原因。结果表明,在深海平坦海底方向一次海底反射到达区,对声场起主要贡献的经过一次海底反射声线间的到达时间差随着水平距离的增加而逐渐减少,从而干涉叠加后的相位差在[0,2π]内发生周期性变化,导致该区域声场的水平纵向相关性随着间距增加呈周期性振荡现象;而不平海底方向的海底小山丘恰对一次海底反射声线的阻挡影响,不仅使得与平坦海底方向相同区域的声传播损失明显增大,而且由于相对更多的本征声线路径的复杂多途干涉,该区域水平纵向相关性不再呈现明显的振荡周期,相关系数也有所下降。研究结果对于分析在深海复杂海底地形环境下的声呐阵列探测性能具有重要意义。      

Features of the energy structure of acoustic fields in the ocean with two-dimensional random inhomogeneities

The paper is devoted to the analytic study and numerical simulation of mid-frequency acoustic signal propagation in a two-dimensional inhomogeneous random shallow-water medium. The study was carried out by the cross section method (local modes). We present original theoretical estimates for the behavior of the average acoustic field intensity and show that at different distances, the features of propagation loss behavior are determined by the intensity of fluctuations and their horizontal scale and depend on the initial regular parameters, such as the emission frequency and size of sound losses in the bottom. We establish analytically that for the considered waveguide and sound frequency parameters, mode coupling effect has a local character and weakly influences the statistics. We establish that the specific form of the spatial spectrum of sound velocity inhomogeneities for the statistical patterns of the field intensity is insignificant during observations in the range of shallow-water distances of practical interest.     

深海海底斜坡环境下的声传播

海底地形变化对声传播具有很大影响,在南海深海区域海底斜坡环境下进行了一次声传播实验,实验显示倾斜海底环境下声传播损失出现了一些不同于平坦海底环境下的现象,分析并解释了海底地形变化对产生声传播差异的原因.结果表明,海底斜坡对声波的反射增强作用可使斜坡上方的声传播损失减少约5 d B.当声波第一次入射到达的海底位置有较小幅度的山丘(凸起高度小于1/10海深)时,海底小山丘即可对声波有反射遮挡作用,导致在其反射区特定传播距离和深度上出现倒三角声影区,比平坦海底环境下相同影区位置处的传播损失增大约8 d B,影响深度可达海面以下1500 m.而海底斜坡对声波的反射阻挡作用使得从海面反射及水体向下折射的会聚区结构消失,只剩下从水体向上折射的会聚结构.因此,海底地形对深海声传播影响较大,在水下目标探测和性能评估等应用中应予以重视.     

Sound Propagation in Shallow Water with an Inhomogeneous GAS-Saturated Bottom

We present the methods and results of numerical experiments studying the low-frequency sound propagation in one of the areas of the Arctic shelf with a randomly inhomogeneous gas-saturated bottom. The characteristics of the upper layer of bottom sedimentary rocks (sediments) used in calculations were obtained during a 3D seismic survey and trial drilling of the seafloor. We demonstrate the possibilities of substituting in numerical simulation a real bottom with a fluid homogeneous half-space where the effective value of the sound speed is equal to the average sound speed in the bottom, with averaging along the sound propagation path to a sediment depth of 0.6 wavelength in the bottom. An original technique is proposed for estimating the sound speed propagation in an upper inhomogeneous sediment layer. The technique is based on measurements of acoustic wave attenuation in water during waveguide propagation.     

匹配垂直质点振速的浅海地声参数反演

海底声学参数对海洋波导中的声场特性研究和相关应用具有重要意义。针对一次夏季黄海声传播实验,分析了浅海负跃层环境下垂直质点振速的传播特性和简正波结构,说明当声源和接收器均位于负跃层下时,除海底附近外的大部分深度上垂直质点振速能量较高,且与声压相比,号数高的简正波对垂直质点振速的贡献更大,利用垂直质点振速进行匹配场反演能获得更高的海底参数敏感性。分析了海底吸收系数对垂直质点振速匹配场反演的影响,结果表明只有当进行匹配场反演时设置的海底吸收系数接近真实值时,才能获得准确的海底声速、密度和海深反演结果。利用实验中矢量水听器获取的垂直质点振速信号进行匹配场反演,将海底吸收系数在变化范围内取不同值对海底声速、密度和平均海深进行全局搜索,根据代价函数值最大确定了海底声速、密度及平均海深的反演结果,并利用不同距离上的声压传播损失反演出不同频率下的海底吸收系数。根据反演得到的海底声学参数计算声压传播损失,与实验中声压水听器测量结果符合较好。     

Study of a novel range-dependent propagation effect with application to the axial injection of signals from the Kaneohe source

A novel range-dependent propagation effect occurs when a source is placed on the seafloor in shallow water with a downward refracting sound speed profile, and sound waves propagate down a slope into deep water. Under these conditions, small grazing-angle sound waves slide along the bottom downward and outward from the source until they reach the depth of the sound channel axis in deep water, where they are detached from the sloping bottom and continue to propagate outward near the sound channel axis. This "mudslide" effect is one of a few robust and predictable acoustic propagation effects that occur in range-dependent ocean environments. As a consequence of this effect, a bottom mounted source in shallow water can inject a significant amount of acoustic energy into the axis of the deep ocean sound channel that can then propagate to very long ranges. Numerical simulations with a full-wave range-dependent acoustic model show that the Kaneohe experiment had the appropriate source, bathymetry, and sound speed profiles that allows this effect to operate efficiently. This supports the interpretation that some of the near-axial acoustic signals, received near the coast of California from the bottom mounted source located in shallow water in Kaneohe Bay, Oahu, Hawaii, were injected into the sound channel of the deep Pacific Ocean by this mechanism. Numerical simulations suggest that the mudslide effect is robust.     

Three-dimensional coupled-mode model and characteristics of low-frequency sound propagation in ocean waveguide with seamount topography

Large-scale topography, such as a seamount, substantially impacts low-frequency sound propagation in an ocean waveguide, limiting the application of low-frequency acoustic detecting techniques. A three-dimensional (3D) coupled-mode model is developed to calculate the acoustic field in an ocean waveguide with seamount topography and analyze the 3D effect. In this model, a correction is introduced in the bottom boundary, theoretically making the acoustic field satisfy the energy conservation. Furthermore, a large azimuth angle calculation range is obtained by using the operator theory and higher-order Padé approximation. Additionally, the model has advantages related to the coupling mode and parabolic equation theory. The couplings corresponding to the effects of range-dependent environment are fully considered, and the numerical implementation is kept feasible. After verifying the accuracy and reliability of the model, low-frequency sound propagation characteristics in the seamount environment are analyzed. The results indicate lateral variability in bathymetry can lead to out-of-plane effects such as the horizontal refraction phenomenon, while the coupling effect tends to restore the abnormal sound field and produces acoustic field diffraction behind the seamount. This model effectively considers the effects of the horizontal refraction and coupling, which are proportional to the scale of the seamount.