A Preliminary Study on the Particle Motion of Underwater Sound Sources

Abstract

Underwater acoustics plays a key role for fish to know the marine environment and to communicate between them. In this context, understanding not only how these fishes produce sound but also how they perceive it is of great importance for their preservation and survival. Some recent studies have shown the higher sensitivity of fishes to particle motion than sound pressure and suggest its consideration, especially in the assessment of noisy scenarios. This work gives an insight into the analysis of particle motion of an underwater sound source and its relation to sound pressure level. For this purpose, the radiated sound pressure field of an electrodynamic speaker is used to calculate the corresponding particle motion. Preliminary results highlight the differences between using one magnitude or another, especially in the near-field, and encourage the development of new devices that allow measuring it to better analyze the noise effects on the marine species.