Analysis and application of spatio-temporal correlation characteristics of measured ocean ambient noise

Gain in sonar signal processing is closely linked to the spatio-temporal coherence characteristics of the ocean ambient noise field. The gain relies on the spatio-temporal coherence coefficient of the signal and noise, with the aim of maximizing the former and minimizing the latter. Currently, there has been ample research on the spatial characteristics of the noise field, while studies on the temporal coherence characteristics of single-point noise fields are limited. In this paper, a temporal and spatial coherence model of wind-induced noise is established based on the normal mode theory, and the impact of bandwidth and spectral structure on the time coherence coefficient of wind-induced noise is analyzed. To measure the environmental noise in 103 m of shallow water in the South China Sea, a 64-element vertical array was utilized. The results demonstrate that the measured vertical spatial correlation coefficient aligns closely with the theoretical findings when wind-induced noise is predominant. The measured temporal correlation coefficient of narrowband noise exhibits a cosine function with gradual attenuation of the envelope, and the correlation radius remains independent of frequency. As the bandwidth increases, the measured broadband noise temporal correlation radius gradually decreases. Wind speed has minimal influence on the temporal and spatial correlation coefficients of wind-induced noise. In the presence of interferences such as ships and pulses, the measured temporal and spatial correlation coefficients of wind-induced noise exhibit larger values in certain intervals. Lastly, leveraging the characteristic that the temporal coherence radius of noise is significantly smaller than that of the line spectrum signal, a single-hydrophone cross-spectrum method is proposed to process the line spectrum signal. This approach effectively enhances the signal-to-noise ratio of the line spectrum.