Sound propagation in a continuously stratified laboratory ocean model.

The propagation of sound in a density-stratified fluid is examined in an experiment with a tank of salty water whose density increases continuously from the fluid surface to the tank bottom. Measurements of the height dependence of the fluid density are used to calculate the height dependence of the fluid salinity and sound speed. The height-dependent sound speed is then used to calculate the refraction of sound rays. Sound propagation in the fluid is measured in three dimensions and compared with the ray analysis. This study provides a basis for laboratory modeling of underwater sound propagation in the fluctuating stratified oceans.