Equations for the Prediction of Sound Speed in the Mediterranean Sea. Volume II. Upper 500 Meters.

Abstract : Stepwise regression analysis was used in the reduction of historical Nansen data to develop four mathematical models which, together, describe the sound-speed distribution below 500 meters in the Mediterranean Sea. Using polynomial expressions in only three variables (longitude, latitude, and depth) representations of the Nansen data were found, with standard deviations in a range between 0.256 and 0.311 meters/second and percent variances explained by regression ranging from 99.69 to 99.88 percent. Several comparisons of the observed data with the sound-speed predictions from the models showed close agreement. The accuracy and simplicity of the models make them well-suited for surveillance applications, sonar modeling, on-board prediction, and information retrieval systems. (Author)