Scientists have always been curious about sounds and how they travel, or propagate. Underwater acoustics is the study of sounds moving through water, a phenomenon first noted over 2,000 years ago by Aristotle. Since these early beginnings, the science of underwater acoustics has grown to include research ranging from basic sound propagation to using sound for tasks such as mapping surfaces, measuring distances, and communicating. The following sections will lead you through the development of underwater acoustics as a formal science up through World War II (WWII) and the astounding discoveries that have been made during that journey. A few of the more interesting post-WWII developments are also included in other sections of the DOSITS website: History of the SOFAR Channel and Sound Surveillance System (SOSUS).

History of Underwater Acoustics sections:

• The Discovery of Underwater Acoustics: Pre-1800s

• The First Studies of Underwater Acoustics: The 1800s

• The First Practical Uses of Underwater Acoustics: The Early 1900s

• World War I: 1914-1918

• Between World War I and World War II: The 1920s and 1930s

• World War II: 1941-1945