A feed-back algorithm using ocean acoustic modeling to improve shallow water soliton simulations

Abstract

Ocean solitons can affect the acoustic signals that travel through them. The effects can range from slight to severe. Computer simulations can be used to predict the large‐scale effects on the acoustic signal. The typical sequence of events requires that an ocean model be initialized by tidal velocity and used to estimate the changes in the environmental parameters due to soliton creation and propagation. Changes in the environment are used to calculate the related changes in the ocean sound speed field. The last step is to run an ocean acoustic computer model to predict the changes in the acoustic signal. Often, the tidal velocity is not precisely known and assumptions have to be made. Any variations in the tidal velocity require the time consuming sequence to be repeated. Recently, we have demonstrated a way of estimating the soliton structure that could affect the acoustic signal. This estimation is made before any ocean model simulation is made. This can greatly reduce the number of computer simulations, since only ocean model simulations are made for those conditions that might significantly affect the acoustic signal. Examples will be shown that illustrate this acoustic ‘‘feedback’’ method. [Work supported by the NRL Base program.]