Matched-field geoacoustic inversion using propagation invariant in a range-dependent waveguide

Abstract

Although matched-field geoacoustic inversion (MFI) has been successfully applied for seabed sediment parameters, its estimation capabilities are limited due to the range dependence of ocean sound-speed profiles, bathymetry, and bottom sediment. This paper proposes a method called propagation invariant (PI). As a purely data-driven method, PI eliminates the effect of intervening range-dependent variations on acoustic propagation and depends only on the “local” environmental characteristics, thus providing ideal input data for MFI. In this paper, the PI concept is applied for MFI in a range-dependent environment by simulations. Results show good MFI performance even for a highly range-dependent waveguide.