Broadband source localization using horizontal-beam acoustic intensity striations.

Waveguide invariant theory is applied to horizontal line array (HLA) beamformer output to localize moving broadband noise sources from measured acoustic intensity striation patterns. Acoustic signals emitted by ships of opportunity (merchant ships) were simultaneously recorded on a HLA and three hydrophones separated by 10km during the RAGS03 (relationship between array gain and shelf-break fluid processes) experiment. Hough transforms are used to estimate both the waveguide invariant parameter “beta” and the ratio of source range at the closest point of approach to source speed from the observed striation patterns. Broadband (50–150-Hz) acoustic data-sets are used to demonstrate source localization capability as well as inversion capability of waveguide invariant parameter beta. Special attention is paid to bathymetric variability since the acoustic intensity striation patterns seem to be influenced by range-dependent bathymetry of the experimental area. The Hough transform method is also applied to the ...