PRINCIPLES OF UNDERWATER SOUND

A M E R I C A ’ S N A V Y
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WHY DO WE USE SOUND?

• Range of penetration
• Identify objects
• Speed of propagation
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CONCEPTS OF SOUND
• Three (3) elements required for this
to work:

• Source
• Medium
• Detector (receiver)

• The source vibrates, causing a

series of compressions and
rarefactions in a medium.

• Most concepts already discussed

will apply.
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Transmission losses
• Spreading
• Attenuation
• Scattering and reverberation
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SPREADING
Spherical

• Omni-directional point source

Cylindrical

• Horizontal radiation only, or

thermal layer, or large ranges
compared to depth
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attenuation
Absorption

• Process of converting acoustic

energy into heat

• Increase with higher frequency

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Scattering and
reverberation
Volume: Marine life, bubbles, etc.

Surface: Ocean surface and wind speed

Bottom:

• Not a problem in deep water

• Significant problem in shallow water

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SELF NOISE
• Machinery
• Flow Noise
• Cavitation
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MACHINERY
Pumps, reduction gears,
power plant, etc.
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FLOW NOISE
• Relative motion between
the objects and the water

• High speed causes more

noise (More Friction)

• Hull Fouling - Animal life

on hull (Not Smooth)

• Want LAMINAR Flow

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CAVITATION
• Local pressure behind allows
steam to form (Low pressure area)

• Bubbles collapse (Very Noisy)

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Screw caviTatioN

THE SUBSEQUENT
PRESSURE BEHIND
SCREW SPEED WATER BOILS BUBBLES FORM COLLAPSING OF THE BUBBLES
SCREW BLADES
CAUSE THE NOISE

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Screw caviTation

W H A T E F F E C T D O E S I N C R E A S E D D E P T H

H A V E O N C A V I T A T I O N ?

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ambient NOISE
• Hydrodynamics
• Seismic
• Biological
• Produced by marine life
• Ocean traffic
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HYDRODYNAMICS
• Caused by the movement of water

• Includes tides, current, storms,

winds, rain, etc.
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SEISMIC
• Movement of the earth (earthquakes)
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BIOLOGICAL
• Produced by marine life

• Passive and active

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OCEAN TRAFFIC
• At long ranges, only low
frequencies are present
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How do we detect
submarines?
• Detect the reflected signal
• Detect the signal over the background noise
• SONAR (Sound Navigation Range)
• SONAR Equation
• Look at losses compared to signal
• Probability of detection
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Factors that
affect sound in:
• Temperature
• Pressure
• Salinity

“SOUND IS LAZY”
Sound bends towards areas of slower speeds
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TYPICAL DEEP
OCEAN SOUND
VELOCITY
PROFILE
“SOUND IS LAZY.”
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“SNELL’S LAW.”

RAY PROPAGATION THEORY

• The path sound travels can be depicted as a ray or vector
• Rays will change direction when passing through two mediums of different density Refractions
• Sound will bend towards the region of slower sound speed. Sound is lazy
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LAYER DEPTH
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POSSIBLE
PROPAGATION
PATHS
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QUESTIONS?

a
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