- #1
Nikitin
- 735
- 27
Hi, a newb-question here. How does it work?
Let's say an active sonar from a ship sends out a sound-wave at the suspected location of a submarine.
How does it actually detect the submarine? I mean, why is the echo the active sonar receives back so special? I mean, if the sound wave hits the flat bottom of the ocean a nice echo comes back as well...
Is it because submarines have a specific sound signature? So that their echo is unique?
or
Is it maybe because the sonar operators try to spot an irregularity when "mapping" out what is below them? So in that case the submarine should be practically invisible to the active sonar when lying at the bottom of the ocean?
Let's say an active sonar from a ship sends out a sound-wave at the suspected location of a submarine.
How does it actually detect the submarine? I mean, why is the echo the active sonar receives back so special? I mean, if the sound wave hits the flat bottom of the ocean a nice echo comes back as well...
Is it because submarines have a specific sound signature? So that their echo is unique?
or
Is it maybe because the sonar operators try to spot an irregularity when "mapping" out what is below them? So in that case the submarine should be practically invisible to the active sonar when lying at the bottom of the ocean?