Statistical analysis and modeling of wind-generated ocean noise in the northeast Pacific Ocean
Date:
Abstract:
In the absence of any dominant ocean noise sources, such as rain or shipping events, wind-generated noise sets the baseline for the underwater acoustic environment. In this study, we have evaluated approximately 3.5 years of acoustical and meteorological data recorded at the northeast Pacific Ocean continental shelf and slope. The acoustic data are recorded continuously at a sample rate of 64 kHz at 81 m depth and 581 m depth at the continental shelf and slope, respectively. The wind speeds are provided by a surface buoy located in the vicinity of each hydrophone. The wind speed values vary between 0 and 18 m/s with a precision of 2%. Power spectral levels are calculated to characterize the wind-generated ocean noise. A linear regression is applied to the average power spectra for different wind speeds. Our results show that wind-generated noise is in good agreement with previous studies for wind speeds less than 10 m/s. However, for wind speeds greater than 10 m/s, the spectral levels decrease significantly faster than what is reported in the literature.