Sound propagation considerations for a deep-ocean acoustic network

Abstract

The deep ocean is characterized by sound propagation that can support wide-area surveillance throught the use of distributed acoustic sensors near the seabed. Such a deep-water sensor network is potentially enabled by phenomena such as Reliable Acoustic Path (RAP) and Deep Sound Channel (DSC) through which undersea network nodes can transmit and receive data across long distances. To provde a theoretical understanding of system effectiveness, the Bellhop acoustic modeling program is used to predict sensor coverage and communications range.