A transport-theoretic analysis of pulse propagation through ocean sediments

The reflection of pulsed acoustic plane waves from ocean sedimentary layers is studied using a stochastic transport theory originally introduced by Barabanenkov et al. [Izv. Vyssh. Uchebn. Zaved., Radiofiz 15, 1852 (1972)]. The sediments are assumed to be a random medium in which the density and sound speed undergo small, highly laminated (pancakelike) fluctuations. Although the problem is formulated in a general context, the predictions of the theory are fully evaluated only in the special case of normal incidence and no refracting profile. However, even with these approximations, some reasonable qualitative agreement of theoretical predictions with measured data is achieved.