Simulation of Sound Propagation Through Random Ice Blocks as an Under-Ice Loss Mechanism

The propagation of underwater sound waves through a random distribution of ice blocks is studied as a numerical simulation problem. For a sparse distribution of ice blocks, it looks like a scattering problem. For a dense distribution, the blocks of ice are joined to form skeletal frame, and it is a porous medium problem. A range of ice block densities are simulated and compared to provide an insight into the wave propagation speeds and attenuations. The results show a variety of frequency dependencies of both wave speed and attenuation, depending on the acoustic frequency range and ice block density.