Impulsive sound propagation in coastal regions

Influenced by the coastal temperature profile and wind profile, the resulting sound speed profiles in coastal regions have certain unique features, such as double inversion zones. As a result, long range sound propagation presents certain properties due to these features. An impulsive sound propagation experiment had been conducted in the morning hours of the summer of 2007 in the coastal Florida area. The test field was 7 km long. Three propane cannons were used during the experiment, located at each end of the test field and in the middle of the test field. Both upwind and downwind propagation data were collected and will be presented. The data showed that coastal region meteorology has a dominant effect on long range sound propagation. Simulated sound propagation results using measured meteorological data are compared with measured impulsive sound propagation data.