Measurements of Acoustic Ambient Noise in Shallow Water Due to Breaking Surf

Horizontal directionality of ambient noise was measured at ranges up to 15 km from the south-eastern shore of Monterey Bay, California. Water depths at the sites ranged from 8 to 175 m. A steerable cardioid receiving pattern was formed using signals telemetered from dipole and omnidirectional hydrop...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Wilson,O B , Jr, Wolf,Stephen N, Ingenito,Frank
Format: Report
Language:English
Subjects:
Acoustics
AMBIENT NOISE
BAYS
CALIFORNIA
HORIZONTAL ORIENTATION
MEASUREMENT
Monterey Bay
NORTH PACIFIC OCEAN
ORIENTATION(DIRECTION)
PE61152N
Physical and Dynamic Oceanography
SHALLOW WATER
SONOBUOYS
SURF
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Summary:Horizontal directionality of ambient noise was measured at ranges up to 15 km from the south-eastern shore of Monterey Bay, California. Water depths at the sites ranged from 8 to 175 m. A steerable cardioid receiving pattern was formed using signals telemetered from dipole and omnidirectional hydrophones suspended from tethered buoys. With no nearby shipping, whenever the maximum of the cardioid pattern was directed toward the beach, noise levels in the frequency range from 20 Hz to 70 Hz were greater than those obtained when the maximum was directed seaward. This difference or anisotropy (seaward vs. shoreward), which depends on range from the beach, on frequency and on surf intensity, was 10 dB at 300 Hz at the 9 km site during very heavy surf. Surf beat was clearly audible when the cardioid maximum was steered shoreward at ranges as great as 2 km. During heavy surf, the omnidirectional ambient noise levels also increased significantly in the same frequency range at which the anisotropy is evident. The anisotropy effects diminish both in magnitude and in frequency range with lower wave height but are still observable during light surf. We have concluded that intense breaking surf can contribute significantly to ambient noise in fairly deep continental shelf waters. (Author)