Effect of surface wave variability on mid-to high frequency acoustic propagation in shallow water

Broadband mid-to-high frequency (0.6-18 kHz) acoustic wave propagation in shallow coastal waters (less than 20 m) is influenced by a variety of oceanographic conditions. Temperature, salinity as well as hydrodynamic parameters such as surface waves, tide and current can influence amplitude and travel time of an acoustic transmission. Some of these physical parameters can be predicted from acoustic wave propagation in shallow coastal waters. A unique set of simultaneous ocean and acoustic observations that reveal interesting temporal behavior of the beamformed acoustic signal and its correlation with surface wave variability is presented.