Some Potential Uses and Limitations of Shallow Water Acoustic Theory

Abstract

Acoustic prediction in shallow water areas of the ocean must contend with a complex environment subject to a high degree of spatial and temporal variation. Calculations using highly idealized models are useful for obtaining certain generic characteristics of the acoustic fields, for example, the spatial distribution and duct excitation efficiency. The increasing potential of high-speed computers makes feasible the use of sophisticated models which can more closely approximate real ocean conditions. It has been demonstrated experimentally that a relatively simple normal-mode formulation can be used to calculate the field of a source in a shallow water area having uncomplicated geometry. Computer simulation has been used to obtain estimates of the expected effects of some environmental complications. Results have directed attention to a consideration of what acoustic phenomena are amenable to analytic calculations and the practicability of applying these models in the real ocean environment.