Large aperture digital acoustic array

A digital array of 120 acoustic channels 900 m in length has been constructed to study low-frequency (20-200 Hz) ambient noise in the ocean. The array may be deployed vertically or horizontally from the research platform FLIP and the array elements are localized with a high-frequency acoustic transponder network. The authors describe the instrumentation, telemetry, and navigation systems of the array during a vertical deployment in the northeast Pacific. Preliminary ambient noise spectra are presented for various array depths and local wind speeds. Ambient noise in the frequency band above 100 Hz or below 25 Hz increases with local wind speed. However, in the frequency band 25-100 Hz, ambient noise is independent of wind speed and may be dominated by shipping sources