Propagation of underwater noise from an offshore seismic survey in Australia to Antarctica: Measurements and modelling

An offshore seismic survey was conducted over the western edge of the continental shelf in Bass Strait in 2006. Underwater noise from this survey was recorded on an autonomous sound recorder deployed in the Southern Ocean on the Antarctic continental slope. Sound emission and propagation models were...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Gavrilov, Alexander
Format: Conference Paper
Published: 2017
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/66148
_version_ 1848761249718861824
author Gavrilov, Alexander
author_facet Gavrilov, Alexander
author_sort Gavrilov, Alexander
building Curtin Institutional Repository
collection Online Access
description An offshore seismic survey was conducted over the western edge of the continental shelf in Bass Strait in 2006. Underwater noise from this survey was recorded on an autonomous sound recorder deployed in the Southern Ocean on the Antarctic continental slope. Sound emission and propagation models were verified by experimental measurements based on parameters and position of the airgun array and characteristics of the underwater sound channel. A parabolic equation approximation method was used to calculate the sound field over the continental slope of Australia and then a normal mode model was employed to account for the transmission loss due to sound scattering by surface waves south of the Polar front. The numerical predictions are consistent with the measurement results within a few dBs for the sound exposure and energy spectral levels. It is also demonstrated by measurements and modelling that the best coupling of a near-surface sound source with the SOFAR underwater sound channel takes place when the source is located over the continental slope at a sea depth of about half of the channel's axis depth. The model can be used to predict masking effects of man-made underwater noise on the communication environment of marine mammals in Antarctica.
first_indexed 2025-11-14T10:28:40Z
format Conference Paper
id curtin-20.500.11937-66148
institution Curtin University Malaysia
institution_category Local University
last_indexed 2025-11-14T10:28:40Z
publishDate 2017
recordtype eprints
repository_type Digital Repository
spelling curtin-20.500.11937-661482018-04-30T02:39:27Z Propagation of underwater noise from an offshore seismic survey in Australia to Antarctica: Measurements and modelling Gavrilov, Alexander An offshore seismic survey was conducted over the western edge of the continental shelf in Bass Strait in 2006. Underwater noise from this survey was recorded on an autonomous sound recorder deployed in the Southern Ocean on the Antarctic continental slope. Sound emission and propagation models were verified by experimental measurements based on parameters and position of the airgun array and characteristics of the underwater sound channel. A parabolic equation approximation method was used to calculate the sound field over the continental slope of Australia and then a normal mode model was employed to account for the transmission loss due to sound scattering by surface waves south of the Polar front. The numerical predictions are consistent with the measurement results within a few dBs for the sound exposure and energy spectral levels. It is also demonstrated by measurements and modelling that the best coupling of a near-surface sound source with the SOFAR underwater sound channel takes place when the source is located over the continental slope at a sea depth of about half of the channel's axis depth. The model can be used to predict masking effects of man-made underwater noise on the communication environment of marine mammals in Antarctica. 2017 Conference Paper http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/66148 restricted
spellingShingle Gavrilov, Alexander
Propagation of underwater noise from an offshore seismic survey in Australia to Antarctica: Measurements and modelling
title Propagation of underwater noise from an offshore seismic survey in Australia to Antarctica: Measurements and modelling
title_full Propagation of underwater noise from an offshore seismic survey in Australia to Antarctica: Measurements and modelling
title_fullStr Propagation of underwater noise from an offshore seismic survey in Australia to Antarctica: Measurements and modelling
title_full_unstemmed Propagation of underwater noise from an offshore seismic survey in Australia to Antarctica: Measurements and modelling
title_short Propagation of underwater noise from an offshore seismic survey in Australia to Antarctica: Measurements and modelling
title_sort propagation of underwater noise from an offshore seismic survey in australia to antarctica: measurements and modelling
url http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/66148