Spatial correlation of the sound field in an ocean shelf zone

The spatial correlation of explosive signals received by hydrophones lying on the bottom of a shelf zone is studied as a function of the length of the propagation path. The correlation coefficient is found to exhibit quasi-periodic variations with increasing distance to the explosive source of sound. It is shown that the value of the correlation coefficient noticeably increases and its periodic variations practically disappear when the measurements are performed for the signals arriving by individual rays or narrow ray bundles. The low efficiency of a linear horizontal receiving array is pointed out.