A Terminology Standard for Underwater Acoustics and the Benefits of International Standardization

Applications of underwater acoustics include sonar, communication, geophysical imaging, acoustical oceanography, and bioacoustics. Specialists typically work with little interdisciplinary interaction, and the terminology they employ has evolved separately in each discipline, to the point that transdisciplinary misunderstandings are common. Furthermore, increasing societal concern about possible detrimental effects of underwater noise on aquatic animals has led national and international regulators to require monitoring of underwater noise, with a consequent need for interdisciplinary harmonization of terminology. By adopting a common language, we facilitate the effective communication of concepts and information in underwater acoustics, whether for research, technology, or regulation. In the words of William H. Taft, Don't write so that you can be understood, write so that you can't be misunderstood. Clear definitions of widely used terms are needed, such as those used for the characterization of sound fields (e.g., soundscape and ambient noise), sound sources (source level and source waveform), sound propagation (transmission loss and propagation loss), and sound reception (hearing threshold and frequency weighting function). Terms that are used synonymously in one application have different meanings in another (examples include hearing threshold versus detection threshold and transmission loss versus propagation loss). Distinct definitions for these and many other acoustic terms are provided in a standard published in April 2017 by the International Organization for Standardization, ISO 18405. This article summarizes ISO 18405 and the process that led to the published definitions, including the reasons for omitting some terms.

Automated summary

Applications of underwater acoustics are diverse, but the lack of clear terminology communication often leads to interdisciplinary misunderstandings. The international standard ISO 18405 provides precise definitions for acoustic terms, facilitating effective communication of concepts and information in underwater acoustics.