Estimation of Sediment Properties Using Air Launched Sonobuoys

The US Navy has been developing its Multi-Static Active Coherent (MAC) acoustic search system. MAC is an air launched acoustic search system that combines a newly developed coherent source sonobuoy with a field of receiver sonobuoys. With the introduction of the coherent source, operational search data collected during MAC exercises are well suited for post-processing to infer waveguide properties. The long term goal of this research is to investigate the feasibility of estimating sediment acoustic properties using data collected during such exercises. Modal dispersion data have been used in inversion schemes that estimate sediment properties in range-independent and range-dependent environments. The objective of this work is investigate and determine the source and receiver characteristics and other experimental parameters that are required to extract sediment properties with adequate resolution from mode dispersion data estimated from data collected during operational activities of the Navy.