Modeling underwater sound propagation: a review

The complex interplay of physical, geological and biological factors that shape the underwater acoustic channel, inhomogeneous and bounded by complicated interfaces, make accurate mathematical modeling of sound propagation a persistent challenge. This paper, starting from the theoretical basis underlying all propagation models, i.e., the wave theory, reviews the most common “complex models” for underwater sound propagation, such as ray tracing, normal modes and parabolic equations, also mentioning the applications of underwater sound propagation models.