Dimensions and units of underwater acoustic parameters

Abstract

The dimensions and units of certain parameters used in underwater acoustics should be modified to take account of the physical phenomena they represent and to conform with accepted practice in other branches of physics. These parameters are source strength, transmission loss, target strength, surface scattering strength, and volume scattering strength. In particular, the SI units for these parameters should be as follows: source strength, W sr−1 (for a steady source) or J sr−1 (for a transient source); transmission loss and target strength, m2 sr−1; surface scattering strength, sr−1, and volume scattering strength, m−1 sr−1.