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Calcimator

Marine Sound Propagation Calculator

Calculate the speed of sound in seawater from temperature, salinity, and depth using the Mackenzie equation.

Inputs

°F
PSU
ft

Results

Speed of Sound

1,491.44 m/s

Absorption at 1 kHz0.06 dB/km
Transmission Loss (1 km)60.1 dB
Acoustic Impedance1,533,160 Pa·s/m
Est. SOFAR Channel Depth1,100 m
How to Use This Calculator
  1. Enter Water Temperature, Salinity, and Depth.
  2. Review the Speed of Sound (m/s) result.
  3. Use Absorption at 1 kHz (dB/km) and Transmission Loss (1 km) (dB) to inform your decision.

How the result changes with Salinity

SalinitySpeed of Sound
4.21,453.32 m/s
151,466.69 m/s
271,481.54 m/s
381,495.15 m/s

What each input means

Water Temperature
In-situ water temperature in degrees Celsius. Sound speed increases ~4.5 m/s per °C.
Salinity
Practical Salinity Units. Sound speed increases ~1.3 m/s per PSU increase.
Depth
Water depth in meters. Pressure increases sound speed ~1.6 m/s per 100 m depth.

How this is calculated

Worked example, using the default values

  1. Identify Input Parameters
    Water Temperature = 10, Salinity = 35, Depth = 100 = 3 input(s) provided
  2. Calculate Speed of Sound
    Speed of Sound
    1491.44 = 1491.44
  3. Calculate Absorption at 1 kHz
    Absorption at 1 kHz
    0.06 = 0.06
  4. Calculate Transmission Loss
    Transmission Loss
    60.1 = 60.1

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