Mapping the Impact of Climate Change on Indicators of Acoustic Propagation in the Atlantic Ocean
conference paper
Climate change is causing a significant warming of the seas and oceans, leading to changes in temperature and salinity distributions within the water column. The sound speed-profile (SSP) depends on these distributions, and its vertical shape affects the acoustic propagation inside the water column. However, making inferences on the impact of climate change on acoustic propagation is not straightforward. In order to increase our understanding of this complex relationship, this paper presents a case study on propagation in the Atlantic Ocean. It considers the effect of climate change on indicators of acoustic propagation such as the sonic layer depth, sound channel axis, and convergence zones. Based on (horizontally) high-resolution climate modelling projections, maps are created that reveal how the sonic layer depth and channel axis might evolve over time up to 2050. By coupling the climate data with ocean acoustic propagation models, similar maps for convergence zone distances can be created. Maps of these properties provide insights into latitudes and longitudes where the effects of climate change on acoustic propagation are the strongest and in which regions a limited effect is expected. An outlook is given on the validity of historical databases.
TNO Identifier
1020635
Source title
UACE2025 - Conference Proceedings
Pages
317-324
Files
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