Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
6357790 | Marine Pollution Bulletin | 2014 | 10 Pages |
Abstract
Wideband sound recordings were made of underwater noise emitted by an active drillship, Stena Forth, working in 484 m of water in Baffin Bay, western Greenland. The recordings were obtained at thirty and one-hundred meters depth. Noise was recorded during both drilling and maintenance work at ranges from 500 m to 38 km. The emitted noise levels were highest during maintenance work with estimated source levels up to 190 dB re 1 μPa (rms), while the source level during drilling was 184 dB re 1 μPa (rms). There were spectral peaks discernible from the background noise to ranges of at least 38 km from the drillship with the main energy below 3 kHz. M-weighted sound pressure levels were virtually identical to broadband levels for low-frequency cetaceans and about 5 dB lower for high-frequency cetaceans. Signals from the dynamic positioning system were clearly detectable at ranges up to two km from the drillship.
Related Topics
Physical Sciences and Engineering
Earth and Planetary Sciences
Oceanography
Authors
Line A. Kyhn, Signe Sveegaard, Jakob Tougaard,