Title: Modeling and characterizing the typical under-ice acoustic channel for the Arctic

Author(s): ZHU Guangping; YIN Jingwei; ZHOU Huanling; CHEN Wenjian; HU Siwei; GUO Longxiang

Affiliation(s): Acoustic Science and Technology Laboratory, Harbin Engineering University; College of Underwater Acoustic Engineering, Harbin Engineering University

Abstract: The properties of arctic underwater acoustic channel were researched using Burke-Twersky (BT) model and ray theory. In the BT model, sea ice ridge is assumed as a set of semi-elliptical cylinder randomly distributed on a stress-free surface. By approximation of low frequency and high frequency of the BT model, the reflection coefficients were calculated at different frequencies. On the basis of ray theory, the acoustic field was calculated and the properties of underwater acoustic channel were analyzed. Compared to underwater acoustic channel properties when the boundary is air, the results show that under the ice surface some sound rays disappear during transmission, because the ice surface reflection coefficients is less than absolute soft surface. Especially, the higher the frequency, the higher the under-ice transmission loss. As a result, under-ice condition is unfavourable for acoustic signals to travel far. Besides, as to the channel structure, the reflection coefficient of ice layer is smaller, the channel multi-path structure is not significant compared to water-air interface without ice. The research results are valuable for our understanding of hydroacoustic channel and the prediction of the sonar system working in the polar region.