Development of an Arctic ray model

An Arctic ray model ICERAY, which is based on a ray model previously developed for deep ocean environments, is described. An acoustic propagation description for Arctic regions is achieved by introducing top layering above the ocean environment and allowing receivers to be located in either the ocean volume or the top (ice) layers. Compressional and shear ray components are included. An evanescent field, in a ray form, is shown to account for the dominant component of the field for long-range propagation to receivers in the ice. Comparisons to an existing full wave model and corresponding analytic expressions demonstrate the accuracy of this ray approach if the evanescent field is included.