Acoustic methods can be effective tools for examining the physical state of the ocean. Ocean Acoustic Tomography (OAT) is the process of determining this state based on acoustic measures. This procedure requires that a prediction for the characteristics of acoustic arrivals at a receiver be generated based on a presumed state of the ocean; the process of generating this prediction is referred to as "forward modeling". Different approaches to the modeling of acoustic propagation each possess strengths and weaknesses. Previous experience in the application of modeling methods to acoustic paths in the Pacific can provide some insight into the numerical techniques that should prove productive for a tomographic slice in the DeSoto Canyon region of the Gulf of Mexico.
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