ASA 124th Meeting New Orleans 1992 October

3aAO10. Seasonal variability of the acoustic energy distribution along a propagation path across the eastern United States continental shelf.

Eugene M. Podeszwa

George Botseas

David G. Browning

Naval Undersea Warfare Ctr., New London Detachment, New London, CT 06320)

Seasonal oceanographic changes can have a strong impact on shallow-water sound transmission loss. Additionally, in any one season, several distinct oceanographic regions may be encountered along a shallow-water propagation path. Using the range-dependent IFD propagation model, propagation loss contours are presented for a 300-km propagation path across the continental shelf starting near Charleston, SC. The relative impact of horizontal and vertical seasonal oceanographic changes are determined in terms of propagation loss and shifts in the acoustic energy distribution throughout the water column.