The Effect of Mesoscale Eddy on the Characteristic of Sound Propagation

Abstract

A mesoscale eddy is detected and tracked in the western North Pacific region. Within the life cycle of the cyclonic eddies, the intensities of eddies make a difference. Satellite images indicate the oceanic eddy keeps westward-moving until it disappears. Oceanographic and acoustic characteristics of the eddy are studied. The acoustic energy distribution results from the different intensity of both modelled eddy and measured eddy are calculated. With sound propagation through the cyclonic eddy and anticyclonic eddy, the position of convergence zone moves away from and towards the acoustic source compared with the sound propagation through background hydrography. The coupling coefficient of different orders of normal modes changes significantly. The closer to the centre of the eddy, the stronger the coupling coefficient.

Keywords

• mesoscale eddy
• parabolic equation
• normal mode