Matched arrival processing for efficient inversion in underwater acoustics

The focus of this paper is on the linearization of the inverse problem in underwater acoustics. The authors develop a simple inversion method for source range and depth estimation. The method identifies the time arrivals of the direct and first surface reflected ray paths in the true ocean impulse response and compares them to corresponding arrivals in a replica impulse response. Through the linearization of the relationship between time arrival difference and source location parameters, the source location is estimated efficiently and accurately.