Multiple receivers in single vertical slice ocean acoustic tomography experiments

Abstract

Range‐dependent information about the ocean can be obtained from a vertical slice tomography experiment with a single source‐receiver pair (Howe et al. , 1987). For this situation we consider the improvement to the estimated fields of sound speed (∼temperature) and current velocity possible from receiving hydrophones widely spaced in the vertical at each end of the slice. Simulations were carried out varying the number of receivers (1–5), the range, and the travel time data error. The ocean was represented by a quasi‐geostrophic spectral model with a Gaussian correlation length scale of 100 km. Results are as follows: (1) the range‐dependent sound speed field is well resolved at 300 km with additional receivers but poorly resolved at 1000 km, (2) the error in the range‐averaged sound speed is reduced substantially by adding more receivers, and (3) errors in the range‐dependent and range‐averaged current velocity are unaffected by adding receivers.