Abstract
A computational Bayesian method is presented for inference from a limited vertical aperture regarding the range, depth and speed of a submerged large mobile object. Closely spaced multipath arrivals in Doppler and vertical angle off of the target in a refractive environment are addressed in the presence of uncertainty in the ambient acoustic noise power. Vertical angles and Doppler frequencies of the arrival structure are jointly inferred and their posterior density is mapped to the object’s range, depth, and speed through acoustic ray interpolation. A case study with the classic Munk sound speed profile is presented to lend credence to the approach.