About this Research Topic
The combination of biological, geological, physical and anthropogenic sounds together make up the marine “soundscape”. The physical properties of the ocean enable sound waves to be detected over very far distances, at times even at the ocean basin scale. Thus sound can be a powerful tool in monitoring marine processes and making new discoveries in the vast and underexplored ocean. For example, passive underwater acoustics can be used to 1) monitor otherwise undetected submarine earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and landslides, 2) detect the sounds produced by marine animals, from shrimp to whales, in order to understand the health and function of marine ecosystems, 3) track ocean storms and the collapse of ice shelves under changing climate conditions, and 4) elucidate the environmental impacts of human activities related to global commerce and resource extraction.
Over the last several decades, the ocean science community has greatly increased understanding of the global ocean sound field, how it varies spatially from the poles to the equator and across major ocean basins, how sound attenuates and propagates over 3-dimensions at these scales, and how the sound field changes seasonally as well as over multiyear to decadal time scales. We are also beginning to gain a better understanding of how natural and anthropogenic sound sources contribute to and drive this spatio-temporal variability, as well as the role of external forcing factors (e.g. climate change) on these sound sources. Measuring and quantifying marine soundscapes and sound sources through space and time can lead to a better understanding of the ocean and characterization of these marine environments, as well as providing a measurement of current sound levels to compare against forecasted future increases in anthropogenic sound sources.
We are interested in a wide variety of ocean acoustic topics, including 1) studies of ambient sound at a range of scales and ocean depths, 2) how acoustic propagation can affect ambient sound and sound level distribution in 2- and 3-D, 3) near and far-field analysis of sound sources, 4) quantification of underwater sound production from a variety of sources, both natural (geo-, bio-, cryo-, atmo-) and anthropogenic sources. We are most interested in studies that use in situ and laboratory measurements of acoustic data, as well as models of acoustic sources and propagation.
Over the last several decades, the ocean science community has greatly increased understanding of the global ocean sound field, how it varies spatially from the poles to the equator and across major ocean basins, how sound attenuates and propagates over 3-dimensions at these scales, and how the sound field changes seasonally as well as over multiyear to decadal time scales. We are also beginning to gain a better understanding of how natural and anthropogenic sound sources contribute to and drive this spatio-temporal variability, as well as the role of external forcing factors (e.g. climate change) on these sound sources. Measuring and quantifying marine soundscapes and sound sources through space and time can lead to a better understanding of the ocean and characterization of these marine environments, as well as providing a measurement of current sound levels to compare against forecasted future increases in anthropogenic sound sources.
We are interested in a wide variety of ocean acoustic topics, including 1) studies of ambient sound at a range of scales and ocean depths, 2) how acoustic propagation can affect ambient sound and sound level distribution in 2- and 3-D, 3) near and far-field analysis of sound sources, 4) quantification of underwater sound production from a variety of sources, both natural (geo-, bio-, cryo-, atmo-) and anthropogenic sources. We are most interested in studies that use in situ and laboratory measurements of acoustic data, as well as models of acoustic sources and propagation.
Keywords: passive acoustics, ocean ambient sound, acoustic propagation
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