Nonlinear Interaction of Impulsive Acoustic/Hydrodynamic Sources and Natural Ocean Inhomogeneities

The research will develop two physics-based models describing the generation of remotely detectable small-scale ocean surface roughness anomalies that can be produced by nonlinear interactions between impulsive acoustic/hydrodynamics sources and background ocean inhomogeneities. The first model is based on weak shock propagation, resulting from impulsive, finite amplitude acoustic disturbances at the source. The second model is based on the theory of non-steady, weakly nonlinear solitons, generated by a moving source in a non-homogeneous ocean. Both models are designed to predict the development and propagation of precursors that can alter the characteristics of the sea surface sufficiently to be detectable by remote sensors.