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Peak sound pressure and sound exposure level from underwater explosions in shallow water
Alexander G Soloway1, Peter H Dahl2
1Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Washington, 1013 NE 40th Street, Seattle, Washington 98105-6698 soloway@u.washington.edu.
Abstract:
Experimental measurements of the peak pressure and sound exposure level (SEL) from underwater explosions collected 7 km off the coast of Virginia Beach, Virginia are presented. The peak pressures are compared to results from previous studies and a semi-empirical equation that is a function of measurement range and charge weight, and are found to be in good agreement. An empirical equation for SEL that similarly employs a scaling approach involving charge weight and range is also presented and shows promise for the prediction of SEL in shallow water.
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