Acoustic Thermometry of Ocean Climate (ATOC)
	Physical Oceanography

The ocean is transparent to sound and opaque to electromagentic radiation. Accordingly schemes of remote sensing of large ocean volumes take advantage of its favorable acoustic properties. Acoustic Thermometry of Ocean Climate (ATOC) measures the travel time of acoustic transmissions over ranges of the order of 5000 km. Since sound speed is a function of water temperature, the transmission time is a measure of the temperature of the intervening water. Changes in heat content of the north-east Pacific (an important climate parameter) are being monitored by acoustic transmission from sources off California and Hawaii to 11 receivers in the eastern Pacific that were installed by the U.S.Navy as part of its Anti-Submarine-Warfare program. For more information please see the ATOC Home Page.

Researchers

Scripps faculty involved in ATOC include:

• Walter Munk
• Peter Worcester

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Physical Oceanography at Scripps