Generating Multichannel Colored Noise for Underwater Acoustic Simulations

Underwater acoustic communication algorithms typically undergo numerical testing within simulated environments prior to real-world application. These simulations require noise samples that accurately reflect the ambient noise in the underwater environment. The common practice of employing a white Gaussian noise model for additive noise in simulations fails to capture the true nature of under-water noise. Given the wideband nature of most underwater communication systems and the frequency-dependence of ambient noise, the assumption of white noise becomes untenable. Furthermore, communication systems equipped with multiple hydrophones for spatial diversity experience correlated noise across hy-drophones. This paper presents a simple technique for generating colored noise that is consistent with the spatial and temporal correlation characteristics of ambient noise measured at sea.