Acoustic Backscatter Measurements Research Articles

Acoustic backscattering at a tidal intrusion front

Strong spatial gradients and rapidly evolving, three-dimensional structure make estuarine fronts difficult to sample. Echosounders can be used near fronts to provide nearly synoptic images of water column processes and, with sufficient bandwidth, can provide quantitative information about dynamical variables derived from forward and inverse methods using acoustic backscattering measurements. This manuscript discusses measurements using broadband (50-420 kHz) echosounders from the James River (Virginia, USA) tidal intrusion front. The dominant backscattering mechanisms observed at the site include bubbles, turbulent microstructure, interfaces associated with stratification, suspended sediment, and biota. Existing analytical models are used to interpret contributions from these sources with acoustic inversions providing quantitative information about the physical structure and processes that compare favorably with conventional, in situ measurements. Supporting data sets for this analysis include measurements of temperature, salinity, velocity, and turbidity; X-band radar images of sea surface roughness; aerial optical imagery; Lagrangian measurements of waves, turbulence, and velocity structure; and Regional Ocean Modeling System circulation model simulations. A notable advantage of acoustic remote sensing is the ability to resolve processes at considerably higher spatial resolution (< 1 m horizontal; < 5 cm vertical) than other in situ sampling approaches.

Combining Optical and Acoustic Backscatter Measurements for Monitoring of Fine Suspended‐Sediment Concentration Under Changes in Particle Size and Density

AbstractOptical and acoustic backscatter measurements are routinely utilized to monitor suspended‐sediment concentration (M); however, both measurements are affected by changes in particle size and density. In this study, optical and acoustic backscatter measurements are combined to a single parameter, the sediment composition index (SCI), to quantify M, mean particle radius by number (ao), the fraction of sediment &lt;20 μm by diameter (), and particle bulk apparent density (ρbulk). Data are analyzed from Chesapeake Bay and five rivers of Queensland, Australia. SCI is utilized to predict the ratio of M to acoustic backscatter under changes in ao and ρbulk (R2 ranged from 0.6 to 0.98 across all data sets) and combined with acoustic backscatter to predict estimates of M that are independent of changes in ao and ρbulk. SCI is proportional to log10(ao) and for SCI from acoustic backscatter measured at 6 MHz (R2 = 0.8 and 0.74, respectively, p‐value &lt; 0.001, n = 133), while SCI(log10(ao)) and SCI() from acoustic backscatter measured at 2 MHz or lower are sensitive to changes in floc fractal dimension. Estimates of ρbulk from SCI are biased by changes in particle size (R2 is 0.1–0.5 across all datasets). This study builds upon recent work that derived SCI to quantify composition of sand and mud in suspension and demonstrates the utility of the approach in systems transporting flocculated silt and clay. Future research directions are discussed.

Schrödinger's fish: Examining the robotic observer effect on pelagic animals

AbstractRobust sampling of animals is necessary for understanding ocean ecology, but evaluating the effectiveness of our samplers is a challenge. Scientific echosounders were added to two robotic platforms carrying video imaging systems: a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) and an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV). The vehicles were used to quantitatively sample midwater life in Monterey Bay along horizontal transects at incremental depths ranging from 25 to 1000 m. The echosounders allowed the bulk behavioral responses of animals to be observed up to 200 m forward of each platform. These responses observed included no response, continual avoidance, avoidance to a fixed range resulting in a patch, and attraction. There were strong and interacting effects of depth and platform type on behavioral responses. Measurements of acoustic backscatter showed that animals responded more strongly to the AUV than the ROV. During AUV surveys, there were effects of day/night and the use of artificial illumination on animal responses. Behavioral responses to our sampling were both species‐ and context‐dependent. These data inspired the expansion of an existing mathematical framework that formalized the processes affecting the sampling of motile ocean organisms. Originally developed for net sampling, we generalized the equations to be platform‐ and sensor‐agnostic and incorporated animal decision‐making processes to allow for behaviors consistent with the full range of responses we observed. These results and the framework can help move toward more effective sampling of motile animals in the ocean.

Broadband backscattering from scyphozoan jellyfish.

As the ecological importance of gelatinous organisms becomes increasingly appreciated, so has the need for improved knowledge of their abundance and distribution. Acoustic backscattering measurements are routine for fisheries assessments but are not yet widely used to survey populations of gelatinous zooplankton. The use of acoustic backscattering techniques to understand the distribution and abundance of organisms requires an understanding of their target strength (TS). This study presents a framework for a sound scattering model for jellyfish based on the Distorted Wave Born Approximation that incorporates size, shape, and material properties of individual organisms. This model, with a full three-dimensional shape rendition, is applied to a common species of scyphomedusa (Chrysaora chesapeakei) and verified experimentally with broadband (52-90 and 93-161 kHz) laboratory TS measurements of live individuals. Cyclical changes in the organism's shape due to swimming kinematics were examined, as well as averages over swimming position and comparisons with scattering from simpler shapes. The model predicts overall backscattering levels and broad spectral behavior within <2 dB. Measured TS exhibits greater variability than is predicted by scaling the size of the organism in the scattering model, showing that density and sound speed vary among individuals.

Multi-sensor observation of a rapidly dispersing micronekton thin layer

Ocean midwaters—areas between the sunlit surface layers and seafloor—comprise the largest habitat on Earth but are among the least understood marine environments. Available sampling platforms (e.g. net systems, moored and shipboard sensors), are often unable to resolve the environmentally-coupled distributions of marine biota throughout the water column over the relevant scales. A deep profiling (1000 m rated) stereo camera was operated in tandem with a split-beam five channel fisheries echosounder to record midwater scattering layers in detail across the oxygen minimum zone (OMZ) offshore of Baja California. A computer vision software library was developed to batch process the collected water column imagery and the derived biological information was interpolated with environmental sensor and acoustic backscatter measurements. A large aggregation of the micronekton squat lobster Pleuroncondes planipes (red crab) was described in the imaging and acoustic data. During midday hours, the micronekton were distributed in a thin layer 1.4 m in vertical extent with a sharp lower boundary and having a maximum abundance of at least 10 individuals per m3. The thin layer distribution was tightly coupled to the 1026 kg/m3 isopycnal associated with a high-frequency internal wave. At dusk the crabs redistributed upwards suddenly as a specific mesopelagic scattering layer with a daytime settling depth of 600–800 m migrated through the P. planipes thin layer near the surface. The thin layer was not disrupted by the ascent of an earlier migrating layer suggesting a layer-selective migration response.

Mesopelagic fish gas bladder elongation, as estimated from wideband acoustic backscattering measurements.

Backscattered acoustic energy from a target varies with frequency and carries information about its material properties, size, shape, and orientation. Gas-bearing organisms are strong reflectors of acoustic energy at the commonly used frequencies (∼18-450 kHz) in fishery surveys, but lack of knowledge of their acoustic properties creates large uncertainties in mesopelagic biomass estimates. Improved knowledge about the volume and elongation (i.e., longest to shortest dimension) of swimbladders of mesopelagic fishes has been identified as an important factor to reduce the overall uncertainties in acoustic survey estimates of mesopelagic biomass. In this paper, a finite element approach was used to model gas-filled objects, revealing the structure of the backscattering, also at frequencies well above the main resonance frequency. Similar scattering features were observed in measured broadband backscattering of several individual mesopelagic organisms. A method is suggested for estimating the elongation of a gas-bubble using these features. The method is applied to the in situ measured wideband (33-380 kHz) target strength (TS) of single mesopelagic gas-bearing organisms from two stations in the North Atlantic (NA) and Norwegian Sea (NS). For the selected targets, the method suggested that the average elongation of gas-bladder at the NA and NS stations are 1.49 ± 0.52 and 2.86 ± 0.50, respectively.

Echosounding in estuaries: Lessons learned from operations and data in four coastal systems

The properties and dynamics of estuarine environments often exhibit strong spatial gradients and rapidly evolving structure that can be difficult to sample and resolve. High-frequency acoustic backscattering techniques spanning from 10 s to 100 s of kilohertz are well-suited for estuarine studies given that they can provide synoptic imaging, aid in discriminating between sources of acoustic backscattering, and in some cases quantify variables of interest. Here, we compare acoustic backscattering measurements obtained using vessel-based, towed, and underwater vehicle operations from the Columbia River, Connecticut River, James River, and Mobile Bay. These data are supported by other oceanographic measurements and circulation models. The sources of backscattering observed across these sites include bubbles, turbulent microstructure, stratification, suspended sediment, and biology. We focus on the quantification of and discrimination between areas dominated by unique processes, in addition to lessons learned regarding frequency selection and operations in estuarine environments.

In situ broadband acoustic measurements of age-0 walleye pollock and pointhead flounder in Funka Bay, Hokkaido, Japan

Measurements of the broadband acoustic backscattering from fish should improve acoustic discrimination between species. The pulse compression processing of broadband systems can be used to measure acoustic backscattering with high range resolution and improve signal-to-noise ratio. This may increase opportunities for in situ target strength (TS) measurements, the preferred method of collecting TS data. To evaluate the availability of TS spectra for acoustic discrimination, three Simrad EK80 wideband transceivers and split-beam transducers of 70, 120, and 200 kHz were used to collect in situ frequency responses of TS from age-0 juvenile walleye pollock and pointhead flounder, a swimbladderless flat-fish, distributed in and around Funka Bay, Hokkaido, Japan. The single echoes were extracted from backscattering data, and the TS spectra of the two species were obtained. However, processing of the broadband acoustic data is under discussion. To ensure the reliability of our data, the TS spectra of standard targets were also calculated. The measured TS spectra of the standard targets were close to the theoretical TS spectra. The individual TS spectra of two species included complex frequency response; however, the mean TS spectrum was relatively stable. The different characteristics of the frequency responses observed for the two species were in good agreement with reported observations. The results available for the acoustic discrimination were similar to the multi-frequency method, which uses two or more single frequencies. The raw TS spectra should aid in not only discriminating between species but also Q3 estimating the size of the fish.

Effect of particle size distribution on Acoustic Doppler Velocimeter backscatter for suspended sediment measurements

The capability of acoustic Doppler velocimeters (ADVs) to estimate suspended sediment concentration has been widely investigated using glass microspheres of the same size or well-sorted fractions in experimental studies. Sediment mixtures in the natural environment may have various types of grain size distribution. This study aims to investigate experimentally the acoustic response to probability distributions in suspension including quite coarse sediment fractions up to a diameter of 300 μm. Modification of scattering and attenuation characteristics by introducing a size distribution is evaluated using the formulations given in the literature. In laboratory experiments, three different types of sediment size distributions constituting a wide size range of non-cohesive quartz sediments, namely uni-modal mass distribution, bi-modal mass distribution, and uniform number distribution, were generated. Acoustic backscatter measurements were made by immersing the ADV in a circulation tank filled with mixtures of sediments with known concentration and particle size distribution. Acoustic estimates of suspended sediment parameters obtained for different particle size distributions are compared with those for mono-size particle suspensions to show the effect of introducing a size distribution in suspension. The acoustic response from size distributions agrees with the general theoretical behavior such that the slope of the calibration curve decreases as the sediment size increases. The scattering and attenuation properties are modified compared to the mono-size suspension with the same mean size. In a region close to the geometric scattering regime, the backscattering coefficients for the particle size distributions are around 34% lower than those for mono-size particles, which results in lower backscattering strengths compared to the mono-size suspensions under the same concentration conditions. The sediment attenuation coefficient showed a smaller reduction (11%), resulting in a negligible change in the calculated signal corrected for water and sediment attenuation compared to the values for mono-size suspension of the same particle size. The information on the form of the probability distribution and the sorting of sediments in suspension is important for acoustic estimates of suspended sediment parameters. Introducing a particle size distribution affects the scattering properties more significantly than the attenuation properties for the geometric scattering regime.

Seasonal variations in multi-year active acoustic surveys of fish and zooplankton in the New York Bight

Active acoustic surveys provide fine-scale measurements over broad spatial and temporal scales of organism abundance in the water column which can be useful as ecosystem indicators. As part of a long-term time series monitoring program, we conducted seasonal surveys within the New York Bight beginning in 2017. The survey comprises eight transects that extend from near-shore to the continental shelf break, and include multiple stations within each transect where net tows and CTD casts are conducted. Acoustic backscatter measurements at 38, 70, 120, and 200 kHz from the water column were integrated (NASC, m2 nmi−2) to examine the distribution and relative abundance of pelagic scatterers. Generally, NASC was highest during the summer and fall surveys, which corresponds to expected seasonal migrations of fish and squid in this area. Winter NASC distributions were highest in waters deeper than 50 m, but increased nearshore during the summer and fall surveys. Backscatter also appeared to be associated with bathymetric features, such as the shelfbreak and the Hudson Canyon, and in some cases with hydrographic fronts and gradients. These data are the first steps in a longer-term monitoring program of pelagic organisms in the New York Bight.

Tidal Asymmetry in Ocean-Boundary Flux and In-Estuary Trapping of Suspended Sediment Following Watershed Storms: San Francisco Estuary, California, USA

Suspended-sediment flux at the ocean boundary of the San Francisco Estuary—the Golden Gate—was measured over a tidal cycle following peak watershed runoff from storms to the estuary in two successive years to investigate sediment transport through the estuary. Observations were repeated during low-runoff conditions, for a total of three field campaigns. Boat-based measurements of velocity and acoustic backscatter were used to calculate water and suspended-sediment flux at a location 1 km landward of the Golden Gate. Suspended-sediment concentration (SSC) and salinity data from up-estuary sensors were used to track watershed-sourced sediment plumes through the estuary. Estimates of suspended-sediment load from the watershed and net suspended-sediment flux for one up-estuary subembayment were used to infer in-estuary trapping of sediment. For both post-storm field campaigns, observations at the ocean boundary were conducted on the receding limb of the watershed hydrograph. At the ocean boundary, peak instantaneous suspended-sediment flux was tidally asymmetric and was greater on flood tides than on ebb tides for all three field campaigns, due to higher average SSC in the cross-section on flood tides. Shear-induced sediment resuspension was greater on flood tides and suggests the presence of an erodible pool outside the estuary. The storms in 2016 led to less export of discharge and sediment from the watershed and greater sediment trapping within one up-estuary subembayment compared to that observed in 2017. Results suggest that substantial trapping of watershed sediments occurred during both storm events, likely due to the formation of estuarine turbidity maxima (ETM) at different locations in the estuary. ETM locations were forced nearer the ocean boundary in 2017. Additional measurements and modeling are required to quantify the long-term sediment flux at the Golden Gate.

Acoustic and In‐Situ Observations of Deep Seafloor Hydrothermal Discharge: An OOI Cabled Array ASHES Vent Field Case Study

AbstractThe Cabled Observatory Vent Imaging Sonar (COVIS) was installed on the Ocean Observatories Initiative's Regional Cabled Array observatory at ASHES hydrothermal vent field on Axial Seamount in July 2018. The acoustic backscatter data recorded by COVIS in August–September 2018, in conjunction with in situ temperature measurements, are used to showcase and verify the use of COVIS for long‐term, quantitative monitoring of hydrothermal discharge. Specifically, sonar data processing generates three‐dimensional backscatter images of the buoyant plumes above major sulfide structures and two‐dimensional maps of diffuse flows within COVIS's field‐of‐view. The backscatter images show substantial changes of plume appearance and orientation that mostly reflect plume bending in the presence of ambient currents and potentially the variations of outflow fluxes. The intensity of acoustic backscatter decreases significantly for highly bent plumes as compared to nearly vertical plumes, reflecting enhanced mixing of plume fluids with seawater driven by ambient currents. A forward model of acoustic backscatter from a buoyancy‐driven plume developed in this study yields a reasonable match with the observation, which paves the way for inversely estimating the source heat flux of a hydrothermal plume from acoustic backscatter measurements. The acoustic observations of diffuse flows show large temporal variations on time scales of hours to days, especially at tidal frequencies, but no apparent long‐term trend. These findings demonstrate COVIS's ability to quantitatively monitor hydrothermal discharge from both focused and diffuse sources to provide the research community with key observational data for studying the linkage of hydrothermal activity with oceanic and geological processes.

Characterization of seafloor roughness from high-frequency acoustic backscattering measurements in shallow water off the west coast of India.

Measurements of the reverberation time series are made at frequencies of 8, 10, and 12 kHz, and the corresponding acoustic bottom backscattering strengths are estimated as functions of grazing angle. The experiment was conducted in the western continental shelf of India (off Kerala) in water depth of ∼61 m where hard sandy sediments of biogenic origin are predominant. The average values of two-dimensional (2D) spectral strength (w2) and exponent (γ2) of seafloor roughness are obtained by inverting bottom backscattering strength data with the help of a scattering model, utilizing the genetic algorithm method. Measurements of one-dimensional interface roughness height are also carried out using a single beam echosounder to analyze the variability of bottom roughness in terms of spatial frequency. The spectral parameters estimated from roughness height measurements are compared to that obtained from inversion results. The 2D spectral strength and exponent of seafloor roughness estimated from the two methods agree with each other and are consistent with the typical values associated with sandy sediments.

Sea-surface acoustic backscattering measurement at 6–25 kHz in the Yellow Sea

Sea-surface acoustic backscattering measurements at moderate to high frequencies were performed in the shallow water of the south Yellow Sea, using omnidirectional spherical sources and omnidirectional hydrophones. Sea-surface backscattering data for frequencies in the 6–25 kHz range and wind speeds of (3.0±0.5) and (4.5±1.0) m/s were obtained from two adjacent experimental sites, respectively. Computation of sea-surface backscattering strength using bistatic transducer is described. Finally, we calculated sea-surface backscattering strengths at grazing angles in the range of 16°–85°. We find that the measured backscattering strengths agree reasonably well with those predicted by using second order small-roughness perturbation approximation method with “PM” roughness spectrum for all frequencies at grazing angles ranged from 40° to 80°. The backscattering strengths varied slightly at grazing angles of 16°–40°, and were much stronger than roughness scattering. It is speculated that scattering from bubbles dominates the backscattering strengths at high wind speeds and small grazing angles. At the same frequencies and moderate to high grazing angles, the results show that the backscattering strengths at a wind speed of (4.5±1.0) m/s were approximately 5 dB higher than those at a wind speed of (3.0±0.5) m/s. However, the discrepancies of backscattering strength at low grazing angles were more than 10 dB. Furthermore the backscattering strengths exhibited no significant frequency dependence at 3 m/s wind speed. At a wind speed of 4.5 m/s, the scattering strengths increased at low grazing angles but decreased at high grazing angles with increasing grazing angle.

Experimental investigation of acoustic backscattered field from a medium with random and aligned fibers

Some soft tissues, such as skeletal muscles, have fiber-like structures that make them anisotropic. Acoustic backscattering from such tissues or media has been of interest to many scientists in biomedical fields because it complicates interpretation of imaging data. Backscatter coefficient measurements show diagnostic promise for this purpose both in vitro and in vivo. Many parameters, e.g., effective scatterer diameter or average scattering strength, can be estimated with acoustic backscatter measurements. In the present work, we experimentally study the backscatter coefficient of a medium with aligned or random fibers and estimate the effect of fiber orientation upon the backscattered field and the estimated scatterer diameter. Using an experimental approach, we explore the relationship between the backscatter coefficient of a medium with multiple fibers and with a single fiber. In addition, we investigate the effect of the spatial Fourier transform of the fiber distribution in the medium with its frequency dependence of backscatter coefficients. The experimental results show that backscatter coefficients of a medium with random fibers can be modeled by the product of number density of fibers, backscatter coefficients of the same single fiber, and the spatial Fourier transform of the fiber distribution.Some soft tissues, such as skeletal muscles, have fiber-like structures that make them anisotropic. Acoustic backscattering from such tissues or media has been of interest to many scientists in biomedical fields because it complicates interpretation of imaging data. Backscatter coefficient measurements show diagnostic promise for this purpose both in vitro and in vivo. Many parameters, e.g., effective scatterer diameter or average scattering strength, can be estimated with acoustic backscatter measurements. In the present work, we experimentally study the backscatter coefficient of a medium with aligned or random fibers and estimate the effect of fiber orientation upon the backscattered field and the estimated scatterer diameter. Using an experimental approach, we explore the relationship between the backscatter coefficient of a medium with multiple fibers and with a single fiber. In addition, we investigate the effect of the spatial Fourier transform of the fiber distribution in the medium with its frequ...

Acoustic reflectivity of a harbor porpoise (Phocoena phocoena).

Acoustic backscatter measurements were conducted on a stationary harbor porpoise (Phocoena phocoena) under controlled conditions. The measurements were made with the porpoise in the broadside aspect using three different types of signals: (1) a 475 μs linear frequency-modulated (FM) pulse with a frequency range from 23 to 160 kHz; (2) a simulated bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops "truncates") click with a peak frequency of 120 kHz; and (3) a simulated killer whale (Orcinus orca) click with a peak frequency of 60 kHz. The measurement with the FM pulse indicated that the mean target strength at the broadside aspect decreased from -26 to -50 dB as the frequency increased from 23 to 120 kHz in a nearly linear fashion (on a logarithm plot). Target strength variation with frequency was similar to a previous backscatter measurement on a bottlenose dolphin over a comparable frequency range (23-80 kHz). The porpoise seems to be a stealth body with low backscatter properties. The target strength of the porpoise was also about 15-16 dB lower than that of the bottlenose dolphin. The difference in lung volume of the two species when expressed in dB was also approximately 15 dB.

Modern Assessment of Natural Hydrocarbon Gas Flux at the Coal Oil Point Seep Field, Santa Barbara, California

AbstractThe Coal Oil Point seep field is among the most active and studied hydrocarbon seep fields in the world. The water column of the Coal Oil Point seep field was acoustically surveyed from 31 August to 14 September 2016 with a 200‐kHz split‐beam echo sounder to map the distribution of natural hydrocarbons in the region. An in situ direct capture device was used to measure the volumetric gas flux of natural hydrocarbons for three localized seep sites while simultaneously collecting acoustic volume backscatter measurements of the hydrocarbons within the water column. The acoustic volume backscatter was calibrated with the measured volumetric gas flux, and the resulting relationship was used to determine flux over the entire seep field. The estimate of integrated volumetric gas flow rate over a survey area of approximately 4.1 km2 was 23,800 m3/day. The estimates of integrated volumetric gas flow rate and volumetric gas flux were compared to measurements reported in previous studies and were 2 to 7 times smaller than results obtained by Hornafius et al. (1999, https://doi.org/10.1029/1999JC900148), which had a total survey area of 18 km2. However, differences between methodologies limit the ability to assess natural variability in the Coal Oil Point seep field.

Broad bandwidth acoustic backscattering from small fish : Measurements and cylindrical model

Acoustic backscattering measurements were conducted of individual ray-finned fishes (Gnathopogon caerulescens) at frequencies from 30 to 150 kHz in an acoustic tank laboratory. Acoustic backscatter measurements for dead ray-finned fishes were made versus incidence angle from -30 deg to 30 deg relative to lateral aspect directions. Backscatter spectra from whole fish vary with the fish length and shift to lower frequencies at higher pitching angles. The backscatter spectra from pitching angle differ in both amplitude and positions. A cylindrical model of fish backscatter was developed and compared with the acoustic measurements.

Target strength measurements of spherical and wobbly bubbles

Methane gas bubbles released from the seafloor transport gas upwards through the water column and in some cases even to the atmosphere. Researchers exploit the large acoustic impedance contrast between the gas within the bubble and the surrounding water to acoustically estimate the flux of methane in the ocean. Flux estimation employs the use of analytical acoustic scattering models to convert acoustic backscatter measurements of gas bubbles to size estimates. However, these models assume that bubbles are both spherical and that their radius is much smaller than the acoustic wavelength (ka « 1). Typically, bubbles in the ocean range from 1 to 5 mm in radius are non-spherical in shape and are observed for ka values that are greater than 0.1. A controlled shallow water tank (<6 m) experiment was conducted to assess the uncertainty associated with using analytical models that assume bubbles are spherical and that ka values are much smaller than one. Small, spherical and large, wobbly gas bubbles (radii ranging from 0.7 to 4.5 mm) were ensonified over a broad range of frequencies (10–250 kHz) in order to observe ka values from 0.1 to 5.

Canonical cylindrical target acoustic backscattering investigations

In littoral environments where visibility can be low and objects of interest are often either partially or fully buried with respect to the water-sediment interface, the task of identifying unexploded ordinances (UXOs) is a challenging one. Downward looking sonar (DLS) systems have been shown to be capable of penetrating the seafloor of various littoral environments and therefore could be an effective tool for searching for UXOs. However, although DLS’s can penetrate the seafloor, classification and identification (C&amp;I) of targets of interest versus clutter are still a technical obstacle of interest. To address this, researchers at the Naval Surface Warfare Center Panama City Division (NSWC PCD) have been working on algorithms that can identify an object based on its acoustic backscatter response. The concept is similar to identifying the material composition of an object with optical spectroscopy but in this case using the acoustic response rather than the optical spectra. Initial investigations, analysis, and algorithm development have focused on the analysis of acoustic backscattering measurements conducted on various targets in the free-field using linear frequency modulated (LFM) interrogation pulses. Experimental measurements are compared with model results derived from a paper by Lecroq [1]. Data/model results as well as a process for potentially aiding automatic target recognition development will be discussed in this presentation. [1] F. Lecroq, L. Fernand, D. Décultot, and G. Maze, J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 91, 1388 (1992).