Bayesian Inversion of Time-difference-of-arrival Data to Localize Bowhead whales in the Chukchi Sea

Authors

  • Graham A. Warner <p>School of Earth and Ocean Sciences University of Victoria Victoria BC Canada V8P 5C2</p><p>AND</p><p>JASCO Applied Sciences, 2305-4464 Markham Street, Victoria, BC Canada</p>
  • Stan E. Dosso School of Earth and Ocean Sciences University of Victoria Victoria BC Canada V8P 5C2
  • David E. Hannay JASCO Applied Sciences, 2305-4464 Markham Street, Victoria, BC Canada

Abstract

This paper develops and illustrates a Bayesian inversion for bowhead whale localization and nonlinear uncertainty estimation using time-difference-of-arrivals (TDOA) of whale calls recorded on omni-directional asynchronous recorders in the Chukchi Sea, Alaska. A Y-shaped cluster of seven autonomous ocean-bottom hydrophones, separated by 0.5–9.2 km, was deployed for several months over which time their internal clocks drifted out of synchronization. Hundreds of recorded whale calls are manually annotated and associated between recorders. The TDOA of whale calls recorded on independent hydrophone pairs are calculated from waveform cross-correlations. These TDOA data depend on the whale locations, hydrophone locations, relative recorder clock drifts, and an effective waveguide sound speed, all of which are considered unknown parameters (with varying levels of prior information) in the Bayesian inversion. In many cases localization uncertainties are sufficiently small to allow tracking whales that vocalize repeatedly over several minutes. Estimates of clock drift rates are obtained from inversions of TDOA data over several weeks. The inversion is computationally efficient and suitable for application to large datasets of manually- or automatically detected whale calls

Author Biographies

Graham A. Warner, <p>School of Earth and Ocean Sciences University of Victoria Victoria BC Canada V8P 5C2</p><p>AND</p><p>JASCO Applied Sciences, 2305-4464 Markham Street, Victoria, BC Canada</p>

PhD StudentSchool of Earth and Ocean Sciences University of Victoria Victoria BC Canada V8P 5C2

Stan E. Dosso, School of Earth and Ocean Sciences University of Victoria Victoria BC Canada V8P 5C2

Director and ProfessorSchool of Earth and Ocean SciencesUniversity of Victoria

David E. Hannay, JASCO Applied Sciences, 2305-4464 Markham Street, Victoria, BC Canada

Chief Science OfficerJASCO Applied Sciences, 2305-4464 Markham Street, Victoria, BC Canada

Additional Files

Published

2016-08-24

How to Cite

1.
Warner GA, Dosso SE, Hannay DE. Bayesian Inversion of Time-difference-of-arrival Data to Localize Bowhead whales in the Chukchi Sea. Canadian Acoustics [Internet]. 2016 Aug. 24 [cited 2024 Mar. 28];44(3). Available from: https://jcaa.caa-aca.ca/index.php/jcaa/article/view/2926

Issue

Section

Proceedings of the Acoustics Week in Canada