Abstract
The New England shelf break is a highly dynamic region, which experiences complex spatial and temporal water-column variations due to interactions with warm core rings originating from the gulf stream. This widely varying ocean environment leads to changes in sound speed and acoustic propagation. Acoustic payload-equipped autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) are advantageous for sound propagation measurements in such environments due to their ability to detect changes with greater spatial resolution compared to fixed moorings. An AUV-towed acoustic array was tested and deployed in the New England Shelf Break Acoustics (NESBA) experiment in May 2021. The acoustic AUV system was comprised of a modified REMUS 600 vehicle, a hull-mounted 3.5 kHz transducer, and a towed multi-channel linear hydrophone array. The AUV sound source was tested at the Dodge Pond Naval Facility to characterize the effect of AUV body resonance, and the resulting calibration was incorporated into the data processing. Propagation paths between the AUV, acoustic moorings, and a ship-towed sound source were studied to investigate the acoustic effects of varying physical oceanographic conditions and biological scattering layers. These measurements also enabled investigation of the local seabed conditions and sub-bottom layering structure. [Work supported by the Office of Naval Research.]
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