Physics of Sound in the Sea

This book is the invaluable composite of the data and information from the study of transmission loss of sound and the reflection of sound from submarines under varying oceanic conditions in World War II. Rather than for purposes scientific study, per se, the primary effort of the scientists and engineers of the time was to determine how existing sonar gear would be best operated and tactically used so as to make submarine and antisubmarine operations most effective. The work presented here was the distillate of the brightest, most creative minds in the underwater acoustics community of that era. Dr. Lyman Spitzer, Jr., Director of the Sonar Analysis Group within the Subsurface Warfare Division of the National Defense Research Committee was responsible for the preparation of Physics of Sound in the Sea. His key editors, named in the preface of the book, created an authoritative, understandable underwater sound reference book every bit as useful today as when first written.

This volume presents the essential results obtained in the studies of underwater sound up to the middle of 1945. The first two parts of this volume deal with the propagation of sound in the absence of targets. Part I discusses transmission loss of sound sent out from a projector, while Part II deals with sound which has scattered back to the vicinity of the original sound source. Part III deals with echoes returned from submarines and ships. Part IV discusses the transmission of sound through wakes and echoes returned from wakes. Practical summaries are presented at the end of each of the four parts.

Underwater sound data, information and where appropriate, theory, are presented in well organized, understandable manner that is well indexed. This classic text is indispensable for every underwater acoustician’s basic library.