Abstract:
For the purpose of analyzing the influence of seasonal factors to acoustic propagation in the Atlantic Ocean, the average data of WOA13 and the Mackenzie empirical sound speed equation is used for the study. This essay analyzes the distribution of values corresponding to sound channel axis and surface sound speed of the Atlantic Ocean in 4 seasons at first. Then under the circumstances of given sound source frequency of 1 000 Hz and grazing angle of 15° to -15°, the pattern of acoustic propagation in 4 seasons at 5 m depth at the chosen locations is studied, used BELLHOP hydroacoustics model. As results, it is found that the reverse depth of convergence waveguide in the Atlantic Ocean is the shallowest in winter, increasing in spring, deepening in summer and decreasing in autumn. Under the typical sound speed profiles in low and middle latitudes, the span of convergence zone in summer is maximal, decreasing in autumn and winter, and reaching the minimum in spring. The span differences of convergence zones of 4 seasons are lower than 1 km. In high latitudes under the positive gradient sound speed profiles, the acoustic propagation distance reaches the farthest in summer, decreases in autumn, reaches the shortest in winter, and increases in spring. It shows that the differences of acoustic propagation distances are larger in high latitudes than in low latitudes. All the patterns vary with the alternation of seasons.