Numerical Models of Sound Propagation in Real Oceans

The physics of sound propagation in the ocean is briefly reviewed. The most widely used propagation models (ray, mode, fast field, parabolic equation) are presented and their areas of applicability are indicated. A few numerical examples are included to show the consistency among the different computer models in overlapping regimes of validity. Finally the ability of the acoustic models to describe sound propagation accurately in complicated ocean environments is demonstrated through a sequence of model/data comparisons.