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Underwater Acoustic Sensing Research


 

Lead Researcher: Professor Kevin B Smith

Phone 831-656-2107 | Email: Kevin B Smith

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Underwater Acoustic Sensing Research

Passive acoustic sensing of underwater sources of noise is of significant interest to the US Navy and DoD. The utilization of environmental and directional acoustic sensors, and their integration onto various platforms such as bottom moored systems, autonomous underwater/surface/aerial vehicles, or drifting buoys, provides NPS faculty and students the opportunities to study aspects of acoustic propagation and signal processing. Applications of such studies relate to detection, classification, and localization of signals of interest, marine mammal monitoring, and environmental studies.

Dr. Kevin B. Smith, Professor of Physics and NPS Dean of Research, has led such efforts over the past decade to expand the capabilities at NPS to conduct this type of work.  Through support from the Office of Naval Research, the NPS Naval Research Program, and partnerships with Naval Warfare Centers, he established the Undersea Sensing Systems (USS) Laboratory in the Department of Physics in 2012. Now managed by his colleague, Research Assistant Professor Paul Leary, the USS Lab has multiple acoustic and environmental sensing systems and deployment platforms, including a variety of autonomous systems.

In 2018, he established a CRADA with the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) to install a directional acoustic sensor on their Monterey Accelerated Research System (MARS) cabled observatory just outside of Monterey Bay.  His team at NPS has been collecting real-time data since February 2019, and multiple researchers at NPS and partner organizations are utilizing these data for a variety of studies.

Similar stand-alone systems have been deployed multiple times along the shelf of the Monterey Bay and down by Big Sur.  The data collected has provided the basis for numerous NPS theses on tracking and localization of various signals of interest.

Dr. Smith also has many years of experience in acoustic propagation modeling, and has a well established numerical model used by a variety of researchers around the world.  The Monterey-Newport Parabolic Equation (MNPE) Model is also supported by collaborators at NUWC-Newport, and provides researchers and NPS students the opportunity to study a variety of environmental effects on sound propagation underwater.  Such studies help improve the understanding of acoustic signal characteristics and provide guidance on how to improve sonar system performance.

 

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Physics Chairman:

Dr. Frank Narducci

Associate Chairs:

Academics: Dr. Christopher Smithtro
Research: Dr. Raymond Gamache

Department of Physics
Spanagel Hall, Room 203
833 Dyer Road
Monterey, CA 93943-5216
P: (831) 656-2397
DSN: 756-2397


Physics - Research - SmithK - Thesis

Thesis Opportuntities

  • Evaluate performance of acoustic sensors mounted on gliders
  • Evaluate cross-platform processing of sensor data
  • Examine impact of ocean environment on sensor performance
  • Evaluate the use of underwater acoustic communications on gliders
  • Investigate the ability to detect and track marine mammal migrations
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