UTC Scholar

Simulation of Wave Propagation Used for the Detection of Submerged Stone Age Artifacts

With the expansion of industrial digging in the sea for construction of traditional and alternative energy sources, there is a growing need to quickly identify submerged indigenous archeological sites. The two main methods used outside of this research are insufficient: 1) The use of high-frequency (600 – 2000 kHz) sound waves by way of side-scan sonar; 2) Using geophysics to identify landmarks that could have attracted pre-contact (indigenous) people. Morgan Smith and his team are using a sub-bottom profiler (SBP) to more accurately identify submerged cultural artifacts, as the SBP allows for lower-frequency (4 – 24 kHz) sound waves that more closely match resonance frequencies of stone artifacts. In conjunction with experimental data gathered from sea beds in relatively shallow waters, we are using the finite element method to numerically solve a mathematical model based on the elastic wave partial differential equation. Appropriate specification of the parameters in this model allows for the simulation of wave propagation in various media, in particular water as well as layered soil and rock. The success of this collaborative effort will result in a significant increase in the speed at which sites can be cleared for construction and the number of submerged indigenous archeological sites that are preserved.