What is it about?
Whales generate a variety of sounds. There is considerable uncertainty about how they generate the lowest frequency sounds, which overlap in frequency with seismic air guns that are used in marine oil and gas exploration. We discuss observations of whale calls and compare and contrast with seismic air gun signals. We postulate that whales could generate low frequency sounds through oscillations of their lungs.
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Why is it important?
Low frequency sound generation remains an unsolved problem. In large part this is due to the challenges of reliably recording whale sounds. However, recent advances in sensor technology have enabled high quality recordings. In this work we present a model of sound generation that can help guide future physiological studies of whale anatomy.
Perspectives
It was enjoyable to apply my modeling to a different field outside of traditional geophysics. I learned a lot about the challenges of studying large marine life.
Leighton Watson
Stanford University
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Comparing whales to marine seismic sources: Low-frequency sound generation by fin whales, August 2017, Society of Exploration Geophysicists,
DOI: 10.1190/segam2017-17752002.1.
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