Work

Observation and modeling of three-dimensional sound propagation along a nonlinear internal gravity wave at a shelfbreak

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Underwater sound propagation can be influenced by strong sound speed gradients generated by nonlinear internal gravity waves (NIWs). Additionally, the seafloor slope plays a crucial role in controlling the direction of acoustic reflections. Experimental data collected at a shelfbreak in the northeastern area of the South China Sea were analyzed to investigate the joint acoustic effects of these two environmental factors. Both two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) numerical sound propagation models were employed to study the observed acoustic signal variations on a hydrophone vertical line array. Comparisons between 2D and 3D sound propagation were conducted to examine changes in ray tracing paths and transmission loss associated with approaching NIWs over the sloping seafloor. 3D sound ducting between the NIW front and the bottom slope was observed to cause a significant increase in acoustic intensity, up to 9.5 dB, over a propagation distance of 4.8 km.

Source: The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America

DOI: 10.1121/10.0035785

Authors: Tzu-Ting Chen, Ying-Tsong Lin, Linus Y.-S. Chiu, William L. Siegmann

Institutions: National Taiwan University, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, National Sun Yat-sen University, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Language: English

Topic: Underwater Acoustics Research

Subfield: Oceanography

Field: Earth and Planetary Sciences

Domain: Physical Sciences

Open Access status: hybrid

Funders: National Science and Technology Council, U.S. Naval Research Laboratory