Three‐dimensional scattering from the ocean surface using finite elements.

Abstract

Scattering from the ocean surface is a major parameter in propagation, reverberation, and coherence length models for shallow water waveguides. However, there are few models that quantify the effects of out‐of‐plane scattering at the ocean surface. In this work, a finite element model is used to quantify the effects of out of plane scattering by comparing 2‐D models to those in three dimensions for given realizations of the ocean surface. The ocean surface roughness is described by an ocean surface spatial spectrum and the scattering of a Gaussian tapered plane wave is considered. Results for several different ocean surfaces are compared to the Kirchhoff approximation to determine its range of validity. [Work sponsored by the Office of Naval Research, Ocean Acoustics.]