ACOUSTIC SEA BOTTOM CLASSIFICATION: A REQUIREMENT ANALYSIS

THERE IS CONSIDERABLE EVIDENCE THAT MINES BURY IN MANY AREAS WHERE BOTH NAVY AND COMMERCIAL SHIPS MUST OPERATE. IF THESE MINES ARE LEFT UNCOUNTERED, THEY POSE A SIGNIFICANT THREAT TO TRANSITING TRAFFIC. FORTUNATELY, NOT ALL SEA BOTTOMS ARE CONDUCIVE TO MINE BURIAL, AND THE BURIED MINE COUNTERMEASURES PROBLEM CAN BE REDUCED BY IDENTIFYING AND APPLYING BURIED MINE COUNTERMEASURES ONLY IN THE AREAS WHERE THE PROBABILITY OF BURIAL IS HIGH. TO DO THIS IN AN EFFICIENT MANNER REQUIRES THE DEVELOPMENT OF A RAPID WIDE-AREA BOTTOM CLASSIFI CATION SYSTEM. UNDER THIS EFFORT, PSI WILL DETERMINE THE REQUIREMENTS FOR CLASSIFYING THE SEA BOTTOM WITH RESPECT TO MINE BURIAL POTENTIAL. THE ANALYSIS WILL BE CONDUCTED USING EXISTING ACOUSTIC DATA AND STATE-OF-THE-ART GEOACOUSTIC AND MINE BURIAL MODELS. CRITICAL SEAFLOOR PARAMETERS WHICH AFFECT MINE BURIAL WILL BE DETERMINED TOGETHER WITH WAVE PENETRATION AND SIGNAL PROCESSING REQUIREMENTS FOR OBTAINING THEM FROM ACOUSTIC REFLECTIVITY MEASUREMENTS. TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS WILL BE PREPARED FOR A PROTOTYPE RAPID SEA BOTTOM CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM INCLUDING PRELIMINARY ACOUSTIC, GEOTECHNICAL AND SIGNAL PROCESSING AND SAMPLING REQUIREMENTS.