Canonical sound speed profile for the central Bay of Bengal

Abstract

Following Munk's canonical theory, an algorithm has been presented for computing sound channel parameters in the western and southern Bay of Bengal. The estimated canonical sound speed profile using these parameters has been compared with computed values for a set of CTD and hydrocast data. The analysis indicated appreciable variation in the perturbation coefficient epsilon even over short ranges, particularly in the eastern region. This has an important implication in ray tracing, where the range dependency of the acoustic field can be introduced with suitable modification. In the region where the channel axis is nearly symmetrical about the upper and lower bound, the canonical profile almost reproduces the computed one. The result of the exponential, stratified model lead to a resonable/realistic fit with the ocean beneath the thermocline