Blind deconvolution of shipping sources in an ocean waveguide

Area of Science:

• Underwater acoustics
• Signal processing
• Array signal processing

Background:

• Underwater acoustic source localization is crucial for navigation and monitoring.
• Traditional methods struggle with unknown source characteristics and complex environments.
• Ray-based blind deconvolution (RBD) offers a potential solution for passive acoustic sensing.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the applicability of the RBD method for underwater acoustic sources of opportunity.
• To estimate channel impulse responses (CIRs) and recover radiated signals from unknown sources.
• To validate the RBD method using numerical simulations and experimental data.

Main Methods:

• The RBD method estimates source phase via beamforming along a resolved ray path.
• Matched-filtering with estimated source phase recovers CIRs and the source signal.
• Performance is evaluated using numerical simulations and experimental recordings of shipping noise (300-800 Hz).

Main Results:

• The RBD method successfully estimates CIRs and recovers radiated signals from underwater acoustic sources.
• Estimated CIR ray amplitudes align with known seabed properties.
• Derived CIRs enable broadband matched-field processing for accurate source localization.

Conclusions:

• The ray-based blind deconvolution method is effective for passive acoustic source characterization and localization in underwater environments.
• The technique provides accurate channel impulse responses consistent with physical properties.
• RBD enhances capabilities for identifying and locating acoustic sources of opportunity like ships.