Hot topics in “cold” acoustical oceanography

Abstract

Acoustics is a vital tool for probing the ocean interior, the seafloor, and the sea surface. This talk on Acoustical Oceanography will focus on hot topics in cold places, specifically the Arctic. The rapid loss of sea ice in the arctic circle is leading to an increase in human activities, with implications for oil and gas exploration, fisheries, shipping, and tourism, to name a few areas. Current active and exciting research areas in Acoustical Oceanography include: (1) multipurpose acoustic networks in the Arctic that support the passive monitoring of underwater sound, and remote sensing activities such as acoustic tomography and thermometry, (2) using acoustics to track marine mammals and evaluate their responses to industrial noise, (3) the use of high frequency acoustics to detect and quantify oil layers beneath sea ice, and (4) the use of underwater ambient noise to study glacier dynamics and ice melting in arctic, glacial bay.