WA Shelf Acoustics Primary

This research is one component of three interdependent and collaborative research efforts that together have an overarching primary goal of significantly improving the prediction of SONAR signal excess and its uncertainty for a required duration (e.g., 72 hours) for a given operational area. The primary long-term goal of this specific component (APL-Ocean Physics) is to improve the predictive modeling of hydrographic features that control acoustic transmission of mid-range frequencies. This three year effort will parallel and integrate with the proposed APL-Acoustics and NRL work. This effort will heavily leverage ongoing UW modeling efforts (LiveOcean), a host of ongoing observational assets on the Washington shelf, and existing ocean measurement tools. Our specific program objectives are to: 1) quantify the space and time scales of the acoustic ducts. 2) identify the mechanisms controlling the formation and evolution of these ducts. 3) apply new knowledge to improve key processes and inputs in models to more accurately reproduce and predict these ducts. 4) provide comprehensive field observations to ground truth models and provide critical environmental data for the acoustics field experiment, allowing detailed acoustic modeling. 5) via modeling investigate these phenomena in other operationally-significant regions.