Ocean acoustic reverberation tomography

Area of Science:

• Oceanography
• Marine geophysics
• Acoustics

Background:

• Seismic wide-angle imaging commonly explores Earth's subsurface using ocean bottom seismographs.
• Oceanic studies are often dominated by acoustic waves and reverberations within the water column.
• Dense receiver spacing (<10 km) allows for detailed sampling of water column properties.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and present ocean acoustic reverberation tomography as a novel method for imaging ocean acoustic structure.
• To provide an alternative approach for determining ocean structure and understanding heat content and mixing.
• To demonstrate the potential for revealing small-scale ocean thermal variations.

Main Methods:

• Utilizes travel times of direct and reflected acoustic waves recorded by ocean bottom seismographs.
• Applies a technique called ocean acoustic reverberation tomography.
• Leverages dense receiver spacing to densely sample the acoustic wave field.

Main Results:

• Successfully developed ocean acoustic reverberation tomography.
• Demonstrated potential for imaging small-scale ocean thermal structure throughout the water column.
• Capable of producing higher-resolution sound speed images compared to traditional acoustic tomography.

Conclusions:

• Ocean acoustic reverberation tomography offers a powerful new tool for ocean exploration.
• The technique enhances understanding of ocean heat content and mixing processes.
• It provides detailed insights into small-scale ocean thermal structures over large areas.