Inversion of High Frequency Acoustic Data for Sediment Properties Needed for the Detection and Classification of UXOs

An essential component in the detection and characterization of underwater munitions is knowledge of the acoustic response of the environment as well as the environments effect on the acoustic response of munitions 1. Simulation tools and technologies have been developed under SERDP-funded research initiatives, such as the Personal Computer Shallow Water Acoustic Toolset PC SWAT 2, to model the acoustics of both the environment and the munitions. The evaluation of these technologies, as well as their future use in unexploded ordinance UXO remediation, relies on knowledge of the underwater environment, particularly the properties of the seafloor. Conventional methods for determining relevant seabed properties employ time-consuming point measurements. Commercially available high-frequency multi-beam echo sounders MBESs may offer a solution to this problem by making faster measurements over larger areas. While these systems are primarily intended for high-resolution bathymetry, acoustic inversion techniques can be used to estimate seafloor parameters relevant to the UXO problem. The object of this research is to develop and rigorously test a physics-based algorithm that can invert high-frequency acoustic data for sediment parameters. This research will result in new algorithms for high frequency acoustic data inversions and system independent environmental assessment in terms of measurable seabed parameters, which can then be used as inputs to acoustic and electromagnetic systems