Small scale characterization of underwater acoustic channels

Abstract

Underwater acoustic (UWA) channel models provide a tool for predicting the performance of communication systems prior to system deployment and are thus essential for system design. Small-scale modeling of the UWA channel targets statistical characterization of random effects such as scattering and motion-induced Doppler shifting. In this study, each transmission path is modeled as consisting of micromultipath components that cumulatively result in a complex Gaussian multiplicative distortion, whose time-and frequency-correlation are assessed analytically. Motion of the surface and transmitter/receiver displacements introduce additional variation whose temporal correlation is modeled via Bessel-type functions. Data obtained from three underwater experiments support the proposed model.