Geoacoustic model of the transverse acoustic variability experiment area in the northern East China Sea

Abstract

Transverse Acoustic Variability Experiment (TAVEX) is a joint ROK-US acoustic experiment for testing transverse acoustic variability in the northern limit of the East China Sea. TAVEX was performed in a water depth of 70–90 m around 32°30 to 40N, 125°20 to 30E, about 150 km southwest of Cheju Island, in August 2008. Purpose of this paper is to provide geoacoustic models of the TAVEX area, integrated and detailed as available. Two geoacoustic models of three layers were reconstructed, located at 32°40N/125°30E and 32°30N/125°30E of the northern East China Sea, respectively. The models were based on the data of the high-resolution subbottom and air-gun seismic profiles with cores. Geoacoustic data of the cores were extrapolated down to a depth of 100 m of the geoacoustic models. For actual underwater experiments, the P-wave speed of the models was compensated to in situ depth below the sea floor using the Hamilton method.