Nibbles the Shark posted:

HoldYourFire posted:

When you say "below the layer" is that some kind of turbulent layer of water that dampens sound waves, caused by temperature differentials? That concept is sticking in my head for some reason.

Sound speed through water is not constant; it varies based on a variety of factors, most significantly temperature. So at a certain depth there's going to be a point where the warm, well mixed top layer of water gives way to a deeper layer of cooler water, so there's an abrupt change in sound speed. Sound waves tend to bend toward the areas of slowest speed in accordance with Snell's Law, so if a submarine is hiding just below this layer, most of the sound they make will bend away from the surface, meaning people above the layer will be much less likely to hear you.


The Shkval torpedo is an excellent weapon for sinking Russian submarines.

Voting 2.