Acoustical oceanography
Acoustical oceanography is the use of underwater sound to study the sea, its boundaries and its contents.
Contents
History
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The earliest and most widespread use of sound and sonar technology to study the properties of the sea is the use of an echo sounder to measure water depth. The development of high resolution sonar in the second half of the 20th century made it possible to not just detect underwater objects but to classify them and even image them.
Important contributions to acoustical oceanography have been made by:
- Walter Munk
- Hank Medwin
- John L Spiesberger
- C C Leroy
- David E Weston
- D. Van Holliday
- Charles Greenlaw
Theory
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See Clay and Medwin[1]
Measurements
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See Clay and Medwin[1]
Applications
Applications of acoustical oceanography include:
- fish population surveys
- classification of fish species and other biota
- rain rate measurement
- wind speed measurement
- water depth measurement
- seabed classification
- ocean acoustic tomography
- global thermometry
- monitoring of ocean-atmospheric gas exchange
Depth sounding
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Seabed classification
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Marine biology
| This section requires expansion. (May 2008) |
The study of marine life, from microplankton to the blue whale, uses bioacoustics.[2]
References
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