Environmental variability and acoustic uncertainty in the New England Shelfbreak Test Experiments.

Abstract

Two New England Shelfbreak Test experiments were conducted off the coast of New Jersey in the Middle Atlantic Bight, a complex and highly variable environment. Water column observations were collected from moorings, CTDs, and a Scanfish. Such extensive observations are critical to determining an accurate depiction of the sound speed field variability with which to determine the uncertainty of acoustic transmission loss models. Specific environmental parameters are identified as critical keys affecting acoustic uncertainty. By determining which keys have the most significant effect on changes to sound propagation and measuring transmission loss variability based on these parameters, the uncertainty within the region is estimated comparing several previously developed methods. Given the limitations of collecting data of adequate spatial and temporal coverage, it is necessary to determine how increased numbers of observations can reduce the acoustic uncertainty and quantify the improvement in order to balance the cost of observations with an acceptable level of uncertainty.