Jenna Hare, Ph.D.
Research Assistant Professor
Center for Acoustics Research and Education
Center for Coastal and Ocean Mapping
University of New Hampshire
Abstract
In the ocean, active acoustic sonar systems are used for a variety of purposes including navigation, mapping and object detection. The performance of these systems depend on the acoustic properties of the seafloor, which can vary temporally and spatially due to near-bottom hydrodynamics and biological activity. Few studies investigating temporal variations of the acoustic response of the seafloor exist. Determining the dominant environmental mechanisms that regulate seafloor scattering will increase our understanding of the interaction between high-frequency sound and the seafloor, leading to improved remote-sensing techniques. In this presentation, we present time series of seafloor scattering measurements obtained in a series of experiments lasting from two weeks to five months from downward-looking sonars oriented at 20 degrees grazing angle with respect to the seafloor. The data were obtained in two shallow water locations near Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Results are compared to previously-reported measurements as well to predictions from the small-slope approximation model.
Bio
Dr. Jenna Hare is a research assistant professor with the UNH Center for Acoustics Research and Education as well as the UNH Center for Coastal and Ocean Mapping. Her research interests lie at the intersection of the fields of physical oceanography and underwater acoustics with a focus on seafloor acoustics, sediment transport processes and bottom boundary layer dynamics. Dr. Hare completed her B.Sc. in physics at Laval University (Quebec, Canada) followed by her M.Sc. and Ph.D. in oceanography at Dalhousie University (Nova Scotia, Canada).
