In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, MERIDIAN’s Data Analytics team is releasing a new ocean acoustics software package. Named Kadlu after the Inuit goddess that creates thundery weather, the package provides tools to accurately model ambient noise levels in the ocean.
The first version of Kadlu includes methods for automated retrieval of relevant environmental data (bathymetry, water temperature and salinity, wave height, wind speed, etc.) from online sources, interpolation on arbitray coordinate arrays and grids, and plotting. Functionalities for sound propagation modelling will be included in the next release, anticipated for May 2020.
Kadlu is written in Python and utilizes a number of powerful software packages including NumPy, HDF5, NetCDF-4, SQLite, and GDAL. It is licensed under the GNU GPLv3 license and hence freely available for anyone to use and modify.
The intended users of Kadlu are researchers and students in underwater acoustics working with ambient noise modeling. If you are curious to learn more about Kadlu, please explore the Kadlu documentation page where you will find detailed descriptions of all functionalities, short code snippets, comprehensive tutorials, and installation instructions.
Also, if you wish to get involved (and we hope you do!) please consult the How to Contribute section of the documentation page, which lists all the ways in which you can contribute to the continued development of Kadlu.
Stay well and healthy,
The MERIDIAN Data Analytics team
