Question

The zone ocean where sound can travel extremely long distances is called the:

A) pycnocline.
B) SOFAR channel.
C) SONAR channel.
D) surface mix layer.
E) thermocline.

Answer 1

The ocean zone where sound can travel extremely long distances is called the SOFAR channel; this is option B.

Step-by-step explanation:

The zone in the ocean where sound can travel extremely long distances is called the SOFAR channel. The correct answer to the question is B) SOFAR channel.

This channel exploits the sound channel in the ocean, where conditions are just right so that sound waves can travel hundreds or even thousands of miles without losing much energy.

The SOFAR channel relies on the existence of a minimum sound speed zone to which sound that is incident from both above and below is refracted.

This allows the sound waves to be trapped within this layer, enabling long-distance sound propagation in the Ocean. The correct option is B.