Acoustic Scattering by Shell-Covered Seafloors

Benthic shells are in the broad acoustic category of complex finite-sized shapes for which there is no exact mathematical solution to describe the acoustic scattering. Subsequently, the research program is a combination of theoretical analysis, numerical simulations, laboratory experimentation at WHOI, and comparison between models developed in this program and scattering data collected at sea. A crucial aspect of describing the scattering requires understanding the precise shape of the target. Measurements of the shape are made through use of medical computerized tomography using the WHOI CT facility. The theoretical analysis involves taking into account scattering by the surface of the shells as well as sharp edges, which may, under some conditions, dominate the scattering. The