Underwater ambient noise variability from satellite data-An Indian Ocean perspective

Ocean ambient noise level is a function of time, frequency and location. The noise level at different frequency ranges and time spans are contributed by different sources of ambient noise. At low frequencies below 1 kHz, sites near ocean shipping lanes are noisier than other open-ocean locations. Generally, in the range 1 – 50 kHz, sea state dependent noise is dominant. When rain is present, the rain-generated sound usually dominates this frequency band. Several Empirical relations are used to estimate ambient noise on the basis of the source characteristics.