Impact of Wavelength on the Path-loss of Turbid Underwater Communication Systems

In this paper, we investigate the impact of the wavelength and the water turbidity on the performance of non-line-of-sight underwater communication links. Using the chlorophyll-based model proposed in [1], we demonstrate the variability of the scattering and absorption properties for a given wavelength with respect to the water turbidity level. To facilitate the use of this model in Monte Carlo simulations, we approximate the phase function by a two-term Henyey Greenstein function. The obtained phase function as well as the absorption and scattering coefficients of this model are then injected to Monte Carlo simulations to assess the path loss performance. Interestingly, we show by simulations that water turbidity, often regarded as a limiting performance factor, can lead to better received power in non-line of sight environments.