High spatial resolution long-term temperature profiling to inform near-shore atmospheric sound propagation

Abstract

Atmospheric sound propagation depends on factors such as surface characteristics and meteorological parameters. Effective numerical modeling of atmospheric sound propagation requires reliable and realistic input parameters. One of the most influential factors is the air temperature profile. This work examines the application of experimentally determined air temperature profiles in acoustic modeling of littoral environments. Long term measurements of near-surface air temperature profiles over water and marsh grass are presented. Data have been recorded using temperature loggers affixed to two permanent 7 m masts. The loggers were positioned with a 1 m vertical spacing. A common approach to characterize the near-surface boundary layer uses Monin–Obukhov Similarity Theory (MOST). This work compares high spatial resolution air temperature measurements with measurement-informed profiles based on MOST. The development of a more experimentally grounded set of assumptions will ultimately contribute to the improvement of atmospheric acoustic transmission loss models in near shore environments.