According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the ocean covers about 71 percent of the Earth's surface—yet much of our underwater world is unmapped and unseen. However, research conducted by University of Rhode Island (URI) associate professor of ocean engineering Lora Van Uffelen, utilizing acoustic propagation, holds promise for discovering more of the ocean's interior. Acoustic propagation is the process by which sound waves move through a medium like air, water, or solid objects.

Lora Van Uffelen. (Image credit: URI)

Her project, “Acoustic Propagation and Geo-Positioning in Polar and Temperate Ocean Environments,” was recently awarded a three-year, $929,000 grant from the Office of Naval Research (ONR).…