Automatic and passive whale localization in shallow water using gunshots

This paper presents an automatic and passive localization algorithm for low frequency impulsive sources in shallow water. This algorithm is based on the normal mode theory which characterizes propagation in this configuration. It uses specific signal processing tools and time-frequency representations to automatically extract features of the propagation. Then, it uses the dispersive properties of the oceanic waveguide as an advantage to perform the localization. Only few hydrophones are needed and neither knowledge of the oceanic environment nor simulation of the propagation is required. The proposed method is successfully applied on North Atlantic Whale gunshots in the Bay of Fundy recorded with a network of three hydrophones.