411 Sounds in the Ocean

Sounds are an important part of the ocean.  They are created by both natural and human-made sources.  Physical sounds from the Earth arise from ocean waves and currents, weather, and geological processes.  Marine animals use sound for communication, navigation, finding prey and avoiding predators. For humans, sound is both a byproduct of ship propulsion and other mechanical activities and a powerful tool for imaging the ocean and the subseafloor.  Because sound propagates so well in the oceans, there are concerns about the effects of human generated noise on ocean ecosystems.

In this class, we will learn about the physics of sound; what sound is, how sounds are created, how they propagate in the oceans, and how they are detected and measured.  We will learn about the signal processing tools that are used to visualize and analyze sounds in a way that does not require computer programming and will use these tools to explore the different sounds encountered in the oceans. We will consider how human-made sounds can impact animals and the approaches to mitigate their effects.