Deep-water measurements of container ship radiated noise signatures and directionality

Underwater radiated noise from merchant ships was measured opportunistically from multiple spatial aspects to estimate signature source levels and directionality. Transiting ships were tracked via the Automatic Identification System in a shipping lane while acoustic pressure was measured at the ships' keel and beam aspects. Port and starboard beam aspects were 15°, 30°, and 45° in compliance with ship noise measurements standards ANSI/ASA S12.64 (2009) and ISO 17208-1 (2016). Additional recordings were made at a 10° starboard aspect. Source levels were derived with a spherical propagation (surface-affected) or a modified Lloyd's mirror model to account for interference from surface reflections (surface-corrected). Ship source depths were estimated from spectral differences between measurements at different beam aspects. Results were exemplified with a 4870 and a 10 036 twenty-foot equivalent unit container ship at 40%–56% and 87% of service speeds, respectively. For the larger ship, opportunistic ANSI/ISO broadband levels were 195 (surface-affected) and 209 (surface-corrected) dB re 1 μPa2 1 m. Directionality at a propeller blade rate of 8 Hz exhibited asymmetries in stern-bow (6 dB) and port-starboard (9 dB) direction. Previously reported broadband levels at 10° aspect from McKenna, Ross, Wiggins, and Hildebrand (2012b). J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 131, 92–103 may be ∼12 dB lower than respective surface-affected ANSI/ISO standard derived levels.