High-Frequency Sound Interaction in Ocean Sediments: Modeling Environmental Controls

Our long term goal is to develop accurate models for high-frequency acoustic penetration into, propagation within, and scattering from shallow water ocean sediments. This work should specifically improve the Navy’s ability to detect buried mines and, in general, improve sonar performance in shallow water. Additional objectives of the NRL program are to understand and model the complex interactions among environmental processes, sediment structure, properties, and behavior. These models allow portability of high-frequency bottom interaction models to sites of naval interest.