Ambient noise measurements from 100 Hz to 80 kHz in an Alaskan fjord. 1992

S O McConnell, and M P Schilt, and J G Dworski
Areté Associates, La Jolla, California 92038.

Measurements covering a broad frequency range from 100 Hz to 80 kHz have been made in Behm Canal, Alaska. This site represents a fairly deep embayment (400 m) with a soft bottom (porosity of about 0.8) and, hence, the noise detected at the hydrophones is affected negligibly by multipath contributions except possibly at the lowest frequencies. Data were gathered over a wide range of wind speeds (0 to 15 m/s) and during periods of rain and snow. Several unique and noteworthy results were obtained. Foremost was the observation that the wind-generated noise level measured during the winter was approximately 5 dB lower than during the summer for the same wind speeds and air-sea temperature differences (air temperature about the same as or colder than the sea surface). The summer data agree well with the most recent published measurements and are approximately 2 dB higher than the standard Knudsen/Wenz reference spectra. It appeared that below-freezing air temperatures and snow were responsible for the 5 dB offset between the summer and winter data. Most reported wind noise measurements are restricted to frequencies less than 20 kHz. Those that go beyond this frequency display a noticeable hump above the usual--17 dB/decade power-law slope, and the Behm Canal measurements show that this hump continues to 80 kHz where the spectrum rejoins the extension of the canonical power-law slope.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D009622 Noise Any sound which is unwanted or interferes with HEARING other sounds. Noise Pollution,Noises,Pollution, Noise
D009792 Oceans and Seas A great expanse of continuous bodies of salt water which together cover more than 70 percent of the earth's surface. Seas may be partially or entirely enclosed by land, and are smaller than the five oceans (Atlantic, Pacific, Indian, Arctic, and Antarctic). Seas,Oceans,Seas and Oceans
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000162 Acoustics The branch of physics that deals with sound and sound waves. In medicine it is often applied in procedures in speech and hearing studies. With regard to the environment, it refers to the characteristics of a room, auditorium, theatre, building, etc. that determines the audibility or fidelity of sounds in it. (From Random House Unabridged Dictionary, 2d ed) Acoustic
D000413 Alaska State of the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA bounded on the east by Canada and on the north, west, and south by the Pacific Ocean and the Bering Sea. Aleutian Islands
D012621 Seasons Divisions of the year according to some regularly recurrent phenomena usually astronomical or climatic. (From McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific and Technical Terms, 6th ed) Seasonal Variation,Season,Seasonal Variations,Variation, Seasonal,Variations, Seasonal
D012815 Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted Computer-assisted processing of electric, ultrasonic, or electronic signals to interpret function and activity. Digital Signal Processing,Signal Interpretation, Computer-Assisted,Signal Processing, Digital,Computer-Assisted Signal Interpretation,Computer-Assisted Signal Interpretations,Computer-Assisted Signal Processing,Interpretation, Computer-Assisted Signal,Interpretations, Computer-Assisted Signal,Signal Interpretation, Computer Assisted,Signal Interpretations, Computer-Assisted,Signal Processing, Computer Assisted
D013018 Sound Spectrography The graphic registration of the frequency and intensity of sounds, such as speech, infant crying, and animal vocalizations. Sonography, Speech,Sonography, Sound,Speech Sonography,Sonographies, Sound,Sound Sonographies,Sound Sonography,Spectrography, Sound
D014867 Water A clear, odorless, tasteless liquid that is essential for most animal and plant life and is an excellent solvent for many substances. The chemical formula is hydrogen oxide (H2O). (McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific and Technical Terms, 4th ed) Hydrogen Oxide
D014887 Weather The state of the ATMOSPHERE over minutes to months. Fog,Fogs

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