Study of the mechanism for broadening of the spectrum of a low-frequency reverberation signal for sound scattering by near-surface inhomogeneities under conditions of intense wind waves

Abstract

The paper considers the problem of backscattering of sound waves by near-surface volumetric inhomogeneities under conditions of intense wind waves. We calculate the expected share of the scattered signal spectrum based on the given wind-wave intensity and the depth distribution of volumetric inhomogeneities. For deep ocean conditions in the frequency range of 500–1000 Hz for a pulse duration of 10 s, we measure the levels and shape of the reverberation spectrum for time delays from 20 to 100 s. Comparison of the measured and calculated reverberation spectra has shown their good coincidence.