Research area

Underwater noise pollution is a growing environmental concern, as it significantly impacts marine ecosystems by disrupting the behavior and physiology of aquatic species.
Since different species are sensitive to different frequency ranges, it is crucial to identify major noise sources and characterize their acoustic emissions.
Numerical modeling of sound propagation in the marine environment enables the assessment of anthropogenic noise impact and the development of mitigation strategies.

Project goals

This project aims to model and simulate sound propagation in marine environment in presence of real acoustic sources. Principal objectives are:

1. Accurate numerical reproduction of the marine environment (irregular bathymetry, coastline, shallow and deep water scenario).
2. Characterization of real underwater noise sources (ship propeller, off-shore wind farm, airguns).
3. Creation of detailed basin-scale sound maps to assess the impact of local anthropogenic noise to propose noise reduction strategies

Computational approach

Simulating wave propagation in real marine environments poses several numerical challenges. One of the main difficulties is achieving high accuracy while minimizing computational costs, especially when dealing with complex geometries that are reproduced through undtructured and coupled fluid-solid interactions. Specfem3D, which utilizes the spectral element method (SEM), is a promising tool due to its ability to provide highly accurate solutions with reduced computational demands. Moreover, we are comparing Specfem3D with two solvers based on finite difference (FD) and finite volume (FV) methods. FD methods are known for their simplicity and efficiency in structured grids but. FV methods, on the other hand, offer flexibility in handling unstructured meshes. By systematically benchmarking these solvers, we aim to establish the optimal applicability range. Overcoming these computational challenges will enable more accurate environmental impact assessments and contribute to the development of effective noise pollution mitigation strategies.