Low-frequency bottom reverberation in shallow-water ocean regions

A phenomenological model of long-range reverberation in a shallow sea is developed to describe the statistical characteristics and interference of the sound field scattered by bottom inhomogeneities. Experimental data on the scattering of low-frequency sound by the sea bottom are presented for a shallow-water region of the Barents Sea. The results of a numerical simulation of the low-frequency bottom reverberation in a multimode waveguide are described. The simulation is based on experimentally measured values of backscattering strength.     

Formation Mechanisms for the Spectral Characteristis of Low-Frequency Reverberations and Predictive Estimates

The paper considers the problem of monostatic scattering of low-frequency sound waves by nearsurface volumetric inhomogeneities under conditions of intense wind waves. We calculate the expected shape of the scattered signal spectrum taking into account the distribution of the volumetric inhomogeneities over the surface and their quasiperiodic motion in three-dimensional space under the action of wind waves. For deep-ocean conditions, a carrier frequency of 228 Hz, and a pulse duration longer than 100 s, we compare the experimental data on the shape of the reverberation spectrum with theoretical estimates. We compare the spectral levels of subsurface scattering with similar data on sound scattering directly on the wind-roughed surface.     

Mean field of a low-frequency sound wave propagating in a fluctuating ocean

Statistical characteristics of low-frequency sound waves propagating over long distances in a fluctuating ocean are important for many practical problems. In this paper, using the theory of multiple scattering, the mean field of a low-frequency sound wave was analytically calculated. In these calculations, the ratio of the sound wavelength and the scale of random inhomogeneities can be arbitrary. Furthermore, the correlation function of inhomogeneities is expressed in terms of a modal spectrum (e.g., internal waves modes). The obtained mean sound field is expressed as a sum of normal modes that attenuate exponentially. It is shown that the extinction coefficients of the modes are linearly related to the spectrum of random inhomogeneities in the ocean. Measurements of the extinction coefficients can therefore be used for retrieving this spectrum. The mean sound field is calculated for both 3D and 2D geometries of sound propagation. The results obtained can be used to study the range of applicability of the 2D propagation model.     

Low-frequency sound absorption and attenuation in marine medium

Original experimental data are analyzed on the low-frequency sound attenuation in the Mediterranean, Black, and Baltic Seas, Sea of Japan, and the north-western region of the Pacific Ocean. In these regions, waters significantly differ in their temperatures and salinities. The analysis is aimed at obtaining an expression for calculating the low-frequency absorption coefficient in sea water. The analysis uses the previously published data on the measured (by the temperature discontinuity method) low-frequency relaxation times associated with boron present in sea water. The dependence of the absorption on the pH value (which was revealed in the 1970s) and the experimental data on sound absorption at frequencies higher than 5–10 kHz are also taken into account. As a result of the analysis based on the assumption that low-frequency relaxation takes place, an expression is proposed that relates the low-frequency absorption to the temperature, salinity, and pH value and equally well describes the experimental frequency dependences of attenuation for the four regions at hand (except for the Baltic Sea). Increased attenuation coefficients are noticed for shallow seas and deep-water regions where waters are influenced by intense currents, strait zones, and zones of mixing waters of different origin, i.e., for the ocean areas where, in addition to the attenuation, sound scattering by inhomogeneities of the marine medium and sound energy leakage into the sea floor are significant.     

Ocean circumstance effects on the sound scattering of thermocline

I.IntroductionTheformationofoccanthermoc1ineistheresultfromasea-atmosphereintcraction,whichdependsonvariousintensitiesanddepthsofthethermocline,andthedynamictransactionofthermoenergybetweenlayers.Thercfore,thetcmporalandspacialchangcofthethcrmoc1inebecomesanimportantparameterforrcsearchonuppcrboundary1ayerofsea.Thetempera-tUre,salinityandprcssurevarywithdcpth,whichhasformedthcvcrticalprofileofsoundvclooityintheuppcrboundarylaycrsofsca.A1ongthcshallowwatcrareaofChina,thereareobvi-ousnon-unifo…     

Sound scattering by spatially localized inhomogeneities in a shallow-water waveguide in the presence of internal waves

A method is developed for solving the problem of sound scattering by concentrated inhomogeneities in a waveguide of small depth in the presence of internal waves (IW) typical of an oceanic shelf. The sound field fluctuations related to the motion of a model scatterer (a soft spheroid) and to the propagation of the IW are calculated and analyzed. It is shown that the field of internal waves considerably affects the scattered sound field even when the source-receiver and source-scatterer distances are relatively small (about several kilometers). This effect depends not only on the amplitude of the IW, but on their propagation direction as well.     

Parabolic equation for nonlinear acoustic wave propagation in inhomogeneous moving media

A new parabolic equation is derived to describe the propagation of nonlinear sound waves in inhomogeneous moving media. The equation accounts for diffraction, nonlinearity, absorption, scalar inhomogeneities (density and sound speed), and vectorial inhomogeneities (flow). A numerical algorithm employed earlier to solve the KZK equation is adapted to this more general case. A two-dimensional version of the algorithm is used to investigate the propagation of nonlinear periodic waves in media with random inhomogeneities. For the case of scalar inhomogeneities, including the case of a flow parallel to the wave propagation direction, a complex acoustic field structure with multiple caustics is obtained. Inclusion of the transverse component of vectorial random inhomogeneities has little effect on the acoustic field. However, when a uniform transverse flow is present, the field structure is shifted without changing its morphology. The impact of nonlinearity is twofold: it produces strong shock waves in focal regions, while, outside the caustics, it produces higher harmonics without any shocks. When the intensity is averaged across the beam propagating through a random medium, it evolves similarly to the intensity of a plane nonlinear wave, indicating that the transverse redistribution of acoustic energy gives no considerable contribution to nonlinear absorption. Published in Russian in Akusticheskiĭ Zhurnal, 2006, Vol. 52, No. 6, pp. 725–735. This article was translated by the authors.     

Sound propagation and scattering in media with random inhomogeneities of sound speed, density and medium velocity

This review presents both classical and new results of the theory of sound propagation in media with random inhomogeneities of sound speed, density and medium velocity (mainly in the atmosphere and ocean). An equation for a sound wave in a moving inhomogeneous medium is presented, which has a wider range of applicability than those used before. Starting from this equation, the statistical characteristics of the sound field in a moving random medium are calculated using Born-approximation, ray, Rytov and parabolic-equation methods, and the theory of multiple scattering. The results obtained show, in particular, that certain equations previously widely used in the theory of sound propagation in moving random media must now be revised. The theory presented can be used not only to calculate the statistical characteristics of sound waves in the turbulent atmosphere or ocean but also to solve inverse problems and develop new remote-sensing methods. A number of practical problems of sound propagation in moving random media are listed and the further development of this field of acoustics is considered.     

Scattering of longitudinal waves (sound) by defects in fluids. Rough surface

The classical theory of scattering of longitudinal waves (sound) by small inhomogeneities (scatterers) in an ideal fluid is generalized to a distribution of scatterers and such as to include the effect of the inhomogeneities on the elastic properties of the fluid. The results are obtained by a new method of solving the wave equation with spatial restrictions (caused by the presence of the scatterers), which can also be applied to other types of inhomogeneities (like surface roughness, for instance). A coherent forward scattering is identified for a uniform distribution of scatterers (practically equivalent with a mean-field approach), which is due to the fact that our treatment does not include multiple scattering. The reflected wave is obtained for a half-space (semi-infinite fluid) of uniformly distributed scatterers, as well as the field diffracted by a perfect lattice of scatterers. The same method is applied to a (inhomogeneous) rough surface of a semi-infinite ideal fluid. A perturbation-theoretical scheme is devised, with the roughness function as a perturbation parameter, for computing the waves scattered by the surface roughness. The waves scattered by the rough surface are both waves localized (and propagating only) on the surface (two-dimensional waves) and waves reflected back in the fluid. They exhibit directional effects, slowness, attenuation or resonance phenomena, depending on the spatial characteristics of the roughness function. The reflection coefficients and the energy carried on by these waves are calculated both for fixed and free surfaces. In some cases, the surface roughness may generate waves confined to the surface (damped, rough-surface waves).     

Sound propagation and scattering in media with random inhomogeneities of sound speed,density and medium velocity

Abstract

This review presents both classical and new results of the theory of sound propagation in media with random inhomogeneities of sound speed, density and medium velocity (mainly in the atmosphere and ocean). An equation for a sound wave in a moving inhomogeneous medium is presented, which has a wider range of applicability than those used before. Starting from this equation, the statistical characteristics of the sound field in a moving random medium are calculated using Born-approximation, ray, Rytov and parabolic-equation methods, and the theory of multiple scattering. The results obtained show, in particular, that certain equations previously widely used in the theory of sound propagation in moving random media must now be revised. The theory presented can be used not only to calculate the statistical characteristics of sound waves in the turbulent atmosphere or ocean but also to solve inverse problems and develop new remote-sensing methods. A number of practical problems of sound propagation in moving random media are listed and the further development of this field of acoustics is considered.     

Sound transmission from air into shallow water through rough sea surfaces by small slope approximation

The first-order small slope approximation is applied to the problem of the sound transmission from an airborne source into shallow water through a rough sea surface.By assuming a three-layer homogeneous fluid model and decomposing the sound field in water layer into up-going and down-going waves,the expressions for the down-going wave and thus the total field are derived.The expressions can be calculated by the FFT,but the alias problem will arise.To mitigate the alias effect,additional medium a...     

由小斜率近似计算粗糙海面对空气声源激发的浅海声场的影响

采用一级小斜率近似方法处理空气声经粗糙海面透射至浅海中的声场问题。假定空气、海水和海底为三层均匀介质,将海水层中声场分解为下行波和上行波,导出了粗糙海面条件下下行波和总声场的小斜率近似表达式。导出的声场表达式可由快速傅里叶变换计算,但会出现混叠问题。为了减轻混叠影响,提出了引入额外介质吸收的计算方法。针对高度一维变化且频谱满足PM谱的起伏海面,采用蒙特卡洛仿真计算了相应的水下声场。结果表明,随着海面起伏均方根高度的增加,水下相干场强度减小而均方声压则略有增大。     

浅海空气声入水传播特性分析

结合射线和波数谱积分方法,对空气声入水传播途径进行了分析,利用海上试验数据进行了比较检验。结果表明,在浅海环境中,对水下声场有主要贡献的空气声入水传播途径,主要是透射穿过海面边界的折射直达声以及后续的海底反射声途径,其中折射直达声途径的贡献主要集中在声源正下方附近区域,当距离较远时,由于声线扩展损失效应以及直达声影区两方面的限制,折射直达声传播损失显著增加,对接收声场起主要贡献的是可以到达更远水平距离上的海底反射声,包括海底海面多次反射声。     

Illumination of the shadow zone in a two-channel oceanic waveguide with a fine structure of sound speed inhomogeneities

The experimental data on the sound field structure, which were obtained by emitting a continuous pseudonoise signal (a midfrequency of 3.2 kHz) in a two-channel oceanic waveguide, are compared with the calculations performed by the wave program with allowance for the fine structure of the sound speed inhomogeneities. A considerable increase in the intensity of the sound field with a definite angular spectrum is observed in the upper channel in the first shadow zone, and, in the experiment, the increase begins nearer to the sound source than predicted by the wave and ray calculations for a smooth sound speed profile. These features of the field structure are explained by the illumination of the shadow zone by the regular scattering of signals from highly anisotropic fine-structure inhomogeneities of the sound speed profile, which are clearly pronounced in the region of the given oceanic experiment.     

Scattering of electromagnetic waves from a surface with small and shallow inhomogeneities

Using the second-order perturbation theory, we obtain an analytical expression for the electromagnetic field scattered from a dielectric surface with inhomogeneities that are shallow and small in comparison with the wavelength. This expression is used to analyze the critical phenomena in thermal radio emission of a periodically rough water surface, and the second order of the specific scattering cross section of radio waves, in the short and medium ranges of wavelengths, from a rough surface (in particular, from a sea surface with waves).Translated from Izvestiya Vysshikh Uchebnykh Zavedenii, Radiofizika, Vol. 27, No. 1, pp. 48–55, January, 1984.     

Method of acoustic sweep monitoring of oceanic inhomogeneities (Review)

Theoretical grounds of the new method of monitoring of the temporal variability of oceanic inhomogeneities, which uses the data on frequency shifts of interference maxima of the sound field, were described. The method is free of limitations on both the resolution of signals coming in individual modes (rays) and the adiabatic approximation underlying the conventional methods of inhomogeneity reconstruction. The monitoring sensitivity was estimated, which allows us to estimate minimum detectable changes in the speed of sound by measurement data on frequency shifts of local maxima. Experimental data on shifts of the frequency spectrum of a broadband low-frequency signal on a stationary path in a shallow sea were presented. On their basis, the possibility of applying this method to diagnose tidal variations was shown. Within a numerical simulation, model reconstruction of the frequency spectrum of background internal waves was considered on the basis of the data on measurements of the spectrum of frequency shifts of the interference maximum. The results of the spectrum reconstruction with and without focusing of the conjugate wave field are presented. The problems of monitoring stability and efficiency with respect to the interference pattern formed by various groups of modes were discussed.     

Experimental studies of sound diffraction by moving inhomogeneities under shallow-water conditions

The experimental data on the sound propagation and diffraction by moving test inhomogeneities under lake conditions are presented. It is shown that the diffracted signals under multimode propagation are adequately described by simplified theoretical models proposed earlier. The detection of the diffracted signals against the background of a fluctuating direct signal is demonstrated for the reception by a horizontal or vertical array. It is also shown that the direct and diffracted signals observed in the lake are similar in their characteristics to the signals in a shallow sea, which allows one to use the lake experiment for testing various underwater acoustic techniques intended for shallow-sea conditions.     

Transmission of waves by a nonlinear random medium

We study analytically and numerically the effect of nonlinearity on transmission of waves through a random medium. We introduce and analyze quantities associated with the scattering problem that clarify the lack of uniqueness due to the nonlinearity as well as the localization of waves due to the random inhomogeneities. We show that nonlinearity tends to delocalize the waves and that for very large scattering regions the average transmitted energy is small.     

Effects of Breaking Waves on Composite Backscattering from Ship-Ocean Scene

The existence of the sea surface is bound to affect the electromagnetic(EM) scattering from marine targets. When dealing with the composite scattering from targets over a sea surface by applying high-frequency EM theories,the total scattering field can be decomposed into three parts in low sea states, namely, the direct scattering from the sea surface, the direct scattering from targets and the coupling scattering between the sea surface and targets. With regard to high sea states, breaking waves make the direct scattering from the sea surface and the coupling scattering more complicated. To solve this issue, a scattering model is proposed to analyze the composite scattering from a ship over a rough sea surface under high sea states. To consider the effect of breaking waves,a three dimensional geometric model is adopted together with Ufimtsev's theory of edge waves for the scattering from a breaker. In addition, the coupling scattering between targets and breaking waves is taken into account by considering all possible scattering paths. The simulated results indicate that the influence of breaking waves on the scattering field from the sea surface and on the coupling field is non-negligible, and the numerical results also show the effectiveness of the proposed scattering model.     

Computer modeling of sound propagation in the ocean with fractal inhomogeneities

The wave-field computer code based on the wide-angle parabolic equation is modified and adapted to the problems of sound scattering in a medium with anisotropic inhomogeneities of fractal type. To verify the computer code, a model numerical experiment on determining the angular dependence of the scattered sound field is performed for different anisotropy coefficients of the sound speed inhomogeneities. The comparison of the computed data with the theoretical dependences shows their rather good agreement and indicates that the computer code can be applied to calculations of sound propagation in the ocean with fine-structure inhomogeneities possessing fractal properties.