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Making measurements of surface weather conditions in oceanic regions has been a relatively difficult problem. Dr. Nystuen has exploited passive
monitoring of the underwater sound field to classify and quantify rainfall at sea, which is important to climatic and process studies of air-sea interactions. The sound of rain underwater is loud and distinctive. Individual raindrops produce sound underwater through their impacts with the ocean surface and by sound radiation from bubbles trapped underwater during their splashes. Different raindrop sizes produce distinctive sounds; these can be inverted to measure drop size distribution in the ocean. Acoustic Rain Gauges have been deployed on oceanic moorings to make long-term measurements of rainfall using this acoustical technique. Acoustic Rain Gauges (ARGs) ARGs were designed and built by APL-UW. Consisting of a hydrophone, a low-power sampling computer, and a battery package, the ARG is attached to a mooring and left deployed for up to one year. Every few minutes the ARG "wakes up," then evaluates and records the underwater sound field. At instrument recovery the data is retrieved. Future capabilities may permit real-time data transmission. More information about Dr. Nystuen and his research is available at his Web site.
The Medwin Prize The Medwin Prize in Acoustical Oceanography was established in 2000 from a grant made by Herman and Eileen Medwin to recognize a person for the effective use of sound in the discovery and understanding of physical and biological parameters and processes in the sea. |
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