Ocean acoustics in the rapidly changing Arctic ocean

Abstract

The Arctic ocean is undergoing rapid climate change, in fact it is the most rapidly warming area of our planet. Underwater sound is a uniquely effective tool for Arctic monitoring, because it can be used under the ice where satellites are blind. The most striking change has been the reduction of summer ice cover, but recent acoustic experiments have started to gather evidence for other changes as well, such as the reduction of ice scattering from the loss of multiyear ice and the formation of subsurface ducted propagation in the Beaufort Sea. The ambient soundscape is also of great interest as human activity increases in the region and as biological activity responds. Due the strategic importance of the Arctic during the cold war, there is a history of experimental work in the area but this short talk will try to show a few recent examples.