Measurement and modeling of scattering in underwater acoustics: A potential value to architectural acoustics?

Abstract

Scattering measurement and modeling techniques in underwater acoustics have undergone significant progress through several decades of research. The knowledge gained from this research can be applied to similar scattering problems found in above water systems, such as those typically seen in architectural acoustics. Underwater environments have inherently complex scattering behavior including multiple propagation paths and boundaries that are rough and spatially variable. Additionally, boundaries are often moving, which can introduce different Doppler shifts on multipath arrivals, referred to as Doppler spread. These complications make modeling underwater propagation and scattering a challenging problem. However, there are currently several models that are routinely used for predicting underwater acoustic behavior. In some cases, deterministic modeling can be used while in others the complexity only allows for a statistical description of the acoustic field. In recent years, acoustic communications have emerged as an important ocean application, and the innovations provided by these systems have pushed the limits of current techniques. An overview of these modeling and measurement techniques will be presented, and the lessons learned from recent advances will be reviewed in the context of identifying commonalities between underwater and architectural acoustics.