‘‘Through-the-sensor’’ monostatic bottom loss and bottom backscatter measurements at mid-frequencies

Abstract

Determinations of bottom backscatter and bottom loss parameters for the seafloor at mid-frequencies are of interest for understanding the performance of modern tactical sonar systems. A variety of techniques exist for measuring bottom scattering properties, but many of these methods require significant resources and/or time to perform. Over the last several years, a through-the-sensor approach for making bottom backscatter measurements using standard tactical sonars has been developed. Recently, these techniques have been extended to monostatic bottom loss estimates. In this presentation, a description of the overall approach to these measurements, advantages and limitations of these techniques, and examples of through-the-sensor bottom backscatter and bottom loss measurements made from data collected through a tactical sonar system will be given.