Seabed variability and its influence on acoustic prediction uncertainty

Kevin LePage (Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, DC), Robert I. Odom (University of Washington, Applied Physics Laboratory), Irina Overeem, James Syvitski (University of Colorado, INSTAAR, Boulder, CO) and Lincoln Pratson (Duke University, Durham, NC). The weakest link in performance prediction for naval systems operating in coastal regions is the environmental data that drive the models. In shallow‐water downward refracting environments, the seabed properties and morphology often are the controlling environmental factors. In order to address the issue of uncertainty in seabed properties, we focused on two overarching goals: (1) assess and characterize seafloor variability in shelf environments, (2) determine the impact of the seafloor variability on acoustic prediction uncertainty. Our inherently multidisciplinary approach brought marine geology/geophysics and ocean acoustics together at the intersection of geoacoustic modeling. This talk will review results from a 3‐year collaboration under the ONR Capturing Uncertainty DRI. [Work supported by the Office of Naval Research.]