Environmental Sciences Laboratory main content

Environmental Sciences Laboratory (ESL)

ESL conducts research and development that addresses ocean acoustics, undersea warfare system performance, and signal processing and array design.

The Environmental Sciences Laboratory has opportunities for careers in research, information technology, and administration. Please see the employment page for instructions on how to access and filter a listing of current opportunities by laboratory and/or key words. In addition, we have postdoc positions open in acoustics, and high school and undergraduate positions in a variety of fields.

Search box and main content

Search box

Welcome to the Environmental Technology Laboratory at ARL:UT

water waves icon

About ESL

Environmental Sciences Laboratory (ESL) researchers design, build, test, and support tactical sonars, surveillance sonars, and measurement and analysis systems for use on the ground, in aircraft, and at-sea to full ocean depth. ESL contributes high quality technical expertise in ocean acoustics, propagation, signal processing and array design, and undersea warfare system performance. The primary sponsor for this research is the U.S. Navy, and most of the work is focused on anti-submarine warfare applications. ESL also leverages its expertise in acoustics and signal processing to assess and measure ocean environments.

icon of a globe with Americas

Research Areas

  • Surveillance and Tactical Sonar Systems
  • Specialized Measurement and Processing Instrumentation
  • Acoustic Propagation Modeling and Data Analysis
  • Advanced Signal Processing Algorithms
icon of a ship

Research Spotlight

Seabed Characterization Experiment

The Seabed Characterization Experiment (SBCEX) took place in 2017 at the site of the New England "Mud Patch" south of Cape Cod. This region is characterized by smooth bathymetry and a high content of silt and clay sized particles. The main objectives of SBCEX were to study propagation in fine-grained sediments, quantify uncertainties in seabed parameters, and assess the resulting geoacoustic models and inversion methods.

About banner photo

No content area

icon of a retro 35mm camera

About the Banner

Base camp on the Arctic sea shelf, where ESL scientists worked on sound propagation.

No content area