Task Force Ocean Experiment (TFO)
Objective
Experimental observations of mid-frequency acoustic signal propagation coincident with time-evolving, spatially-distributed measurements of the local physical oceanography and synoptic ocean surface wave field.
Background
The simultaneous combination of acoustic and oceanographic data observations, as opposed to the present sequential approach of predicting the ocean first then using that ocean for acoustic predictions, will be used to evaluate the potential performance enhancement of mid-frequency signal processing. The tight integration of acoustics and physical oceanography will be implemented through an expanded data assimilation approach yielding a dynamic regional model enforcing consistency between observations of the ocean volume, sea surface, and acoustic propagation. In addition, the efficacy of mid-frequency array (through-the-sensor) observations of ambient noise will be evaluated for estimating sea-surface conditions that affect electro-magnetic (EM) propagation/scattering at the air-sea boundary layer.
Location
Near the Channel Islands off the coast of Southern California.
Time
Initial pilot experiment in November 2020 with a main field experiment in May 2021.
Media
Main Experiment (May 2021)
Pilot Experiment (November 2020)
