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Common Underwater Sounds References
Source Levels for Natural and Anthropogenic Sounds with References
Natural Physical Processes
Source
|
Broadband Source Level
(dB re 1 µPa at 1 m)
|
Reference |
| Lightning Strike on Water Surface |
~260 | Hill, 1985 |
| Seafloor Volcanic Eruption |
~255 | Dietz and Sheehy, 1954
Northrop, 1974 |
Marine Life
Source |
Broadband Source Level
(dB re 1 µPa at 1 m) |
Reference |
| Sperm Whale Clicks |
163 - 223 | Levenson, 1974
Watkins, 1980
Møhl et al., 2000 |
| Beluga Whale Echolocation Click |
206-225
(peak-to-peak) | Au, 1993 |
| White-beaked Dolphin Echolocation Clicks |
194-219
(peak-to-peak) | Rasmussen et al., 2002 |
| Spinner Dolphin Pulse Bursts |
108-115 | Watkins and Schevill, 1974
Norris et al., 1994 |
| Bottlenose Dolphin Whistles |
125-173 | Richardson et al., 1995 |
| Fin Whale Moans |
155 - 186 | Watkins, 1981
Edds, 1988
Watkins et al., 1987
Cummings & Thompson, 1994 |
| Blue Whale Moans |
155 - 188 | Aroyan et al., 2000
Cummings and Thompson, 1971, 1994
Edds, 1982
Stafford et al., 1994 |
| Gray Whale Moans |
142 - 185 | Cummings et al., 1968
Fish et al., 1974
Swartz and Cummings, 1978 |
| Bowhead Whale Tonals, Moans and Song |
128 - 189 | Ljungblad et al., 1982
Cummings and Holliday, 1987
Würsig and Clark, 1993 |
| Humpback Whale Song |
144 - 174 | Thompson et al., 1979
Payne and Payne, 1985
Frankel, 1994 |
| Humpback Whale Fluke and Flipper Slap |
183 - 192 | Thompson et al., 1986 |
| Southern Right Whale Pulsive Call |
172 - 187 | Cummings et al., 1972
Clark, 1982, 1983 |
| Snapping Shrimp |
183 - 189
(peak-to-peak) | Au and Banks, 1998 |
Anthropogenic Sounds
Ships Underway |
Broadband Source Level
(dB re 1 µPa at 1 m) |
Reference |
| Tug and Barge (18 km/hour) |
171 | Richardson et al., 1995 |
| Supply Ship (Kigoriak) |
181 | Richardson et al., 1995 |
| Large Tanker |
186 | Richardson et al., 1995 |
| Icebreaking |
193 | Richardson et al., 1995 |
Seismic Survey |
Broadband Source Level
(dB re 1 µPa at 1 m) |
Reference |
| Airgun array (32 guns) |
259 (peak) | Richardson et al., 1995 |
Military Sonars |
Broadband Source Level
(dB re 1 µPa at 1 m) |
Reference |
AN/SQS-53C
(U. S. Navy tactical mid-frequency sonar, center frequencies 2.6 and 3.3 kHz) |
235 | NOAA/NMFS and U. S. Navy, 2001 |
AN/SQS-56
(U. S. Navy tactical mid-frequency sonar, center frequencies 6.8 to 8.2 kHz) |
223 | NOAA/NMFS and U. S. Navy, 2001 |
| SURTASS-LFA (100-500 Hz) |
215 dB for a single projector, with up to 18 projectors operating simultaneously in a vertical array | U. S. Navy, 2001 |
Ocean Acoustic Studies |
Broadband Source Level
(dB re 1 µPa at 1 m) |
Reference |
Heard Island Feasibility Test (HIFT)
(Center frequency 57 Hz) |
206 dB for a single projector, with up to 5 projectors operating simultaneously in a vertical array | Munk et al., 1994 |
| Acoustic Thermometry of Ocean Climate (ATOC)/North Pacific Acoustic Laboratory (NPAL)
(Center frequency 75 Hz) |
195 | Richardson et al., 1995 |
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