Modeling uncertainty in transmission loss due to spatio-temporal variation in environmental parameters

Tactical prediction and decision aid tools require acoustic propagation modeling. The effectiveness of these tools relies on knowledge of the transfer function between model inputs - either measured or predicted - and model outputs. Of particular interest is this transfer when inputs are uncertain and characterized statistically. The Recognized Environmental Picture experiment 2011 (REP11) was designed to provide observations of spatio-temporal variability in oceanographic and acoustic quantities. REP11 was comprised of multiple runs of co-located and contemporaneous oceanographic and acoustic measurements repeated over twenty-four hours. Acoustic measurements were made using a broad-band source towed along radials from a fixed receiver array. The sound speed field in the water column was sampled independently during each run using gliders, towed instruments, and moorings, each having a different spatio-temporal resolution. Due to the nature of the ocean environment, the sound speed field varied both in t...