title: Seismic exploration noise reduction in the Marginal Ice Zone.
abstract: A sonobuoy field was deployed in the Marginal Ice Zone of the Fram Strait in June 2011 to study the spatial variability of ambient noise. High noise levels observed at 10-200 Hz are attributed to distant (1400 km range) seismic exploration. The noise levels decreased with range into the ice cover; the reduction is fitted by a spreading loss model with a frequency-dependent attenuation factor less than for under-ice interior Arctic propagation. Numerical modeling predicts transmission loss of the same order as the observed noise level reduction and indicates a significant loss contribution from under-ice interaction.
authors.affiliation: Norwegian Defence Research Establishment (FFI), Box 115, 3191 Horten, Norway dag.tollefsen@ffi.no.
authors.forename: Dag
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Tollefsen
authors.affiliation: Nansen Environmental and Remote Sensing Center (NERSC), Bergen, Norway hanne.sagen@nersc.no.
authors.forename: Hanne
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sagen