Statistical characteristics of under-ice noise on the Arctic Chukchi Plateau.

This article focuses on analyzing the impact of transient ice-generated noise events on the non-Gaussian statistical characteristics of under-ice noise in the Arctic Chukchi Plateau. Using acoustic data collected from August 2018 to November 2019, the study applies an improved transient extraction algorithm and a refined parameter estimation method for the α-stable distribution—a statistical model characterized by parameters including the characteristic exponent α, which quantifies the degree of non-Gaussianity. Results show a strong negative correlation between the number of ice transient events and the characteristic exponent α, indicating that increased ice activity leads to stronger non-Gaussian noise. The study also finds that non-Gaussian statistics are most pronounced in the 0.5–1 kHz frequency band and weakest in the 20–500 Hz band, with seasonal variations reflecting weaker non-Gaussianity during ice formation and melt periods. These findings provide important parameters for under-ice noise modeling and have implications for optimizing sonar detection algorithms in Arctic ice-covered waters.