Shelfbreak PRIMER Data Analysis: Acoustic Propagation and Ocean Tomography
1998
Chiu, Ching-Sang
The long-term goals of this research are as follows: (1) the characterization of meso to internal-wave-scale oceanographic processes that influence broadband sound transmissions in a coastal environment -- central to the characterization are the formulation of accurate forward relations and the quantification of the sensitivities and variability of the various observable acoustic quantities to environmental differences and changes; and (2) the development and improvement of high-resolution tomographic inverse techniques for measuring the dynamics and kinematics of meso and fine-scale sound speed structure and ocean currents in coastal regions. The field work of the Shelfbreak PRIMER field study was successfully completed in FY97. The data analysis phase of the experiment has begun in earnest. In close coordination and collaboration with the other Shelfbreak PRIMER investigators, the specific objectives of this research are to address the following acoustic and oceanographic issues through follow-on data analysis and modeling: (1) determine the effects of seasonal and mesoscale variability of the shelf-break frontal thermal structure on the transmission of sound from the fixed sources on the slope to the vertical line hydrophone arrays (VLAs) on the shelf; (2) relate the temporal and spatial variability of the acoustic propagation with the ocean variability in the frontal zone; (3) obtain 2D and 3D tomographic maps of the frontal region for use in the physical oceanographic description; and (4) test plausible hypotheses of shelfbreak frontal dynamics by combining acoustic tomography, SeaSoar, thermistor-string, ADCP, and current-meter data in dynamically constrained data inversions.
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