Prediction system for acoustic returns from ocean bathymetry

A real-time capability for predicting ocean-bottom acoustic returns (reflections and backscatter) has been developed for at-sea support of acoustical ocean surveys. The system operates on an HP-9020 desktop computer and provides color screen displays of predicted bottom reverberation as well as echoes from seamounts. Predictions are based on gridded archival databases which can vary with location. A special dual-resolution approach has been devised to provide a high-resolution depiction of the seamount returns in conjunction with a lower-resolution presentation of the reverberation from the slowly varying bottom features. This approach allows large ocean areas to be covered in reasonable computation time.<>