Underwater Acoustics and Signal Processing

The comprehensive research activity around the World in the fields of Underwater Acoustics and Signal Processing being strongly supported by new experimental technique and equipment and by the parallel fast developments in computer technology and solid state devices, which has led to a rapidly reducing cost of digital processing thus enabling more complex processing to be carried out economically, emphasize how necessary it is at intervals of a few years through a NATO Advanced Study Institute (NATO ASI) and guided by leading experts to study the conquests in the fields of Underwater Acoustics and Signal Processing. This need of study is moreover stressed by the interdisciplina rity of Underwater Acoustics and Signal Processing, where a strong impact from other branches of science, - Geophysics, Radioastronomy, Bioengineering, Telecommunication, Seismology, Space Research etc. - is taking place, which makes it an extre mely difficult task for scientists to follow-up the development in all its phases and to preserve the general view of its rapid ly increasing number of possibilities. The present Proceedings of the NATO ASI held in Copenhagen during August 1980 join the series of proceedings of NATO summer schools on Underwater Acoustics and Signal Processing held during the past 20 years. The equality and the fusion of the individual research fields of Underwater Acoustics and Signal Processing and the separate introduction of advanced research results from other scientific areas related to underwater acoustics such as transducers characterize the subject matter of this NATO ASI.