Anomalous sea surface reverberation scale model experiments

Low frequency sea surface sound backscattering from ∼100 Hz to a few kHz observed from the 1960s broadband measurements using explosive charges to the Critical Sea Test measurements conducted in the 1990s is substantially higher than explained by rough sea surface scattering theory. Alternative theories for explaining this difference range from scattering by bubble plumes/clouds formed by breaking waves to stochastic scattering from fluctuating bubble layers near the sea surface. In each case, theories focus on reverberation in the absence of the large-scale surface wave height fluctuations that are characteristic of a sea that produces bubble clouds and plumes. At shallow grazing angles, shadowing of bubble plumes and clouds caused by surface wave height fluctuations may induce first order changes in the backscattered signal strength. To understand the magnitude of shadowing effects under controlled and repeatable conditions, scale model experiments were performed in a 3 m × 1.5 m × 1.5 m tank at the Technical University of Denmark. The experiments used a 1 MHz transducer as the source and receiver, a computer controlled data acquisition system, a scale model target, and a surface wave generator. The scattered signal strength fluctuations observed at shallow angles are characteristic of the predicted ocean environment. These experiments demonstrate that shadowing has a first order impact on bubble plume and cloud scattering strength and emphasize the usefulness of model scale experiments for studying underwater acoustic events under controlled conditions.