Title
The hearing threshold of a harbor porpoise (Phocoena phocoena) for impulsive sounds (L)
Author
Kastelein, R.A.
Gransier, R.
Hoek, L.
de Jong, C.A.F.
Publication year
2012
Abstract
The distance at which harbor porpoises can hear underwater detonation sounds is unknown, but depends, among other factors, on the hearing threshold of the species for impulsive sounds. Therefore, the underwater hearing threshold of a young harbor porpoise for an impulsive sound, designed to mimic a detonation pulse, was quantified by using a psychophysical technique. The synthetic exponential pulse with a 5 ms time constant was produced and transmitted by an underwater projector in a pool. The resulting underwater sound, though modified by the response of the projection system and by the pool, exhibited the characteristic features of detonation sounds: A zero to peak sound pressure level of at least 30 dB (re 1 s-1) higher than the sound exposure level, and a short duration (34 ms). The animal's 50 detection threshold for this impulsive sound occurred at a received unweighted broadband sound exposure level of 60 dB re 1 μPa2s. It is shown that the porpoise's audiogram for short-duration tonal signals [Kastelein, J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 128, 3211-3222 (2010)] can be used to estimate its hearing threshold for impulsive sounds. © 2012 Acoustical Society of America.
Subject
Physics & Electronics
AS - Acoustics & Sonar
TS - Technical Sciences
Defence Research
Defence, Safety and Security
Harbor porpoises
Sea Mammals
Underwater detonations
Hearing threshold
Sound pulses
Biological effects
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DOI
https://doi.org/10.1121/1.4733552
TNO identifier
463745
Source
Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 132 (2), 607-610
Bibliographical note
Letters to the Editor
Document type
article