title: Spectral probability density as a tool for ambient noise analysis.
abstract: This paper presents the empirical probability density of the power spectral density as a tool to assess the field performance of passive acoustic monitoring systems and the statistical distribution of underwater noise levels across the frequency spectrum. Using example datasets, it is shown that this method can reveal limitations such as persistent tonal components and insufficient dynamic range, which may be undetected by conventional techniques. The method is then combined with spectral averages and percentiles, which illustrates how the underlying noise level distributions influence these metrics. This combined approach is proposed as a standard, integrative presentation of ambient noise spectra.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, University of Bath, Bath, BA2 7AY, United Kingdom. n.d.merchant@bath.ac.uk
authors.forename: Nathan D
authors.initials: ND
authors.lastname: Merchant
authors.forename: Tim R
authors.initials: TR
authors.lastname: Barton
authors.forename: Paul M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Thompson
authors.forename: Enrico
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Pirotta
authors.forename: D Tom
authors.initials: DT
authors.lastname: Dakin
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Dorocicz
mesh_terms: D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D005583:Fourier Analysis; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D009038:Motion; D009622:Noise; D009792:Oceans and Seas; D011312:Pressure; D011336:Probability; D012815:Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted; D013018:Sound Spectrography; D013997:Time Factors; D014160:Transducers, Pressure; D014465:Ultrasonics / Q000295:instrumentation; D014867:Water
chemical_list: D014867:Water