The Sound Channel Characteristics in the South Central Bay of Bengal
P.V. Hareesh Kumar
Dr. P.V. Hareesh Kumar, NPOL, Thrikkakara, Kochi (Kerala), India.
Manuscript received on 10 November 2013 | Revised Manuscript received on 18 November 2013 | Manuscript Published on 30 November 2013 | PP: 61-65 | Volume-3 Issue-6, November 2013 | Retrieval Number: F1350113613/13©BEIESP
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© The Authors. Blue Eyes Intelligence Engineering and Sciences Publication (BEIESP). This is an open access article under the CC-BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)
Abstract: Environmental data collected along 92.5oE between 2.7oN and 12.77oN during late winter show a permanent sound velocity maximum around 75 m and an intermediate minimum between 1350 m and 1750 m. The axis of the deep sound channel is noticed around 1700 m. The shallower axial depth (~1350 m) between 7.5oN and 10.5oN coincides with the cyclonic eddy. Within the sonic layer (SLD), Eastern Dilute Water of Indo-Pacific origin and Bay of Bengal Watermass are present whereas its bottom coincides with the Arabian Sea Watermass. Sound speed gradient shows good relationship with temperature gradient (correlation coefficient of 0.87) than with salinity gradient. A critical frequency of 500 Hz is required for the signal to be transmitted through a channel of 50 m thickness and it increases to ~1 kHz for a layer of 20 m. Within SLD, salinity there is 1.54 m/s increase in sound per 1 psu increase in salinity. In the thermocline, the sound speed decreases by 1.95 m/s per degree drop in temperature, whereas at deeper depths pressure effect dominates (@ 1.4 m/s per 100 m depth).
Keywords: Bay of Bengal, Sonic Layer Depth, SOFAR Channel, Critical Frequency, Watermass.
Scope of the Article: Frequency Selective Surface