This is an unparalleled modern handbook reflecting the richly interdisciplinary nature of acoustics edited by an acknowledged master in the field. The handbook reviews the most important areas of the subject, with emphasis on current research. The authors of the various chapters are all experts in their fields. Each chapter is richly illustrated with figures and tables. The latest research and applications are incorporated throughout, including computer recognition and synthesis of speech, physiological acoustics, diagnostic imaging and therapeutic applications and acoustical oceanography. An accompanying CD-ROM contains audio and video files.

This book concisely expounds the fundamental concepts, phenomena, theories and procedures in a complete and systematic sense. In this book, not only almost all the important achievements from predecessors but also the contributions from the author himself have been summed up profoundly. Starting from the derivation of fundamental equations, various classical acoustical phenomena such as reflection, refraction, scattering diffraction and absorption in atmosphere, as well as the influences of gravitation and rotation of the earth on the behaviors of different atmospheric waves including acoustic waves, have been discussed in viewpoints of wave acoustics and geometrical acoustics respectively. The recent developments of several computation methods in the field of atmospheric acoustics have been introduced in some detail. As for the application aspects, atmospheric remote sensing has been discussed from the angle of inverse problems.

Over the past several years, many investigators interested in the effects of man-made sounds on animals have come to realize that there is much to gain from studying the broader literature on hearing sound and the effects of sound as well as data from the effects on humans. It has also become clear that knowledge of the effects of sound on one group of animals (e.g., birds or frogs) can guide studies on other groups (e.g., marine mammals or fishes) and that a review of all such studies together would be very useful to get a better understanding of the general principles and underlying cochlear and cognitive mechanisms that explain damage, disturbance, and deterrence across taxa. The purpose of this volume, then, is to provide a comprehensive review of the effects of man-made sounds on animals, with the goal of fulfilling two major needs. First, it was thought to be important to bring together data on sound and bioacoustics that have implications across all taxa (including humans) so that such information is generally available to the community of scholars interested in the effects of sound. This is done in Chaps. 2-5. Second, in Chaps. 6-10, the volume brings together what is known about the effects of sound on diverse vertebrate taxa so that investigators with interests in specific groups can learn from the data and experimental approaches from other species. Put another way, having an overview of the similarities and discrepancies among various animal groups and insight into the “how and why” will benefit the overall conceptual understanding, applications in society, and all future research.

During the last decade, research in Uncertainty Quantification (UC) has received a tremendous boost, in fluid engineering and coupled structural-fluids systems. New algorithms and adaptive variants have also emerged.This timely compendium overviews in detail the current state of the art of the field, including advances in structural engineering, along with the recent focus on fluids and coupled systems. Such a strong compilation of these vibrant research areas will certainly be an inspirational reference material for the scientific community.

Describes computational methods for sound propagation in the atmosphere. The book overviews models that take into account the presence of specific physical elements, then presents detailed mathematical descriptions of the models in a series of appendices. The models address sound propagation over a flat ground surface in a homogenous atmosphere and in a refracting atmosphere, and the effects of atmospheric turbulence, irregular terrain, and a noise barrier. The numerical methods include the generalized fast field program, the parabolic equation method, Green's function parabolic equations method, and a ray model. c. Book News Inc.

Predicting Outdoor Sound provides a scholarly yet practical examination of the phenomena that affect outdoor sound close to the ground and its prediction. It is devoted to bringing together theories and data to give both researchers and practitioners the basis for deciding which model to use in a given situation. The book covers recent advances in theory, new and old empirical schemes, available data and comparisons between theory and data. Detailed case studies of predictions and their uses are presented. There are chapters on ground impedance models and data, methods of measuring ground impedance, ground effects in homogenous atmospheres, sound propagation in refracting and turbulent atmospheres, sound propagation from moving sources, the performance of outdoor noise barriers, the effects of tall vegetation and both numerical and empirical methods for predicting the various influences on outdoor sound. International in its applications, and written by authors who have been key in many of the recent advances, Predicting Outdoor Sound is a definitive reference for the acoustic engineer.