Feasibility of spectral-element modeling of wave propagation through the anatomy of marine mammals

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates the feasibility of using spectral-element methods for high-frequency ultrasonic wave simulations in marine mammal anatomy, offering a scalable alternative to traditional finite-element approaches.

Contribution

It introduces the first 3D SEM simulation of wave propagation in a dolphin head, capturing complex anatomy and enabling efficient high-frequency modeling.

Findings

SEM achieves exponential convergence and efficient parallel computation.

Simulations confirm SEM's effectiveness for ultrasonic wave modeling.

Detailed anatomical modeling supports bioacoustic research.

Abstract

This study introduces the first 3D spectral-element method (SEM) simulation of ultrasonic wave propagation in a bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) head. Unlike traditional finite-element methods (FEM), which struggle with high-frequency simulations due to costly linear-system inversions and slower convergence, SEM offers exponential convergence and efficient parallel computation. Using Computed Tomography (CT) scan data, we developed a detailed hexahedral mesh capturing complex anatomical features, such as acoustic fats and jaws. Our simulations of plane and spherical waves confirm SEM's effectiveness for ultrasonic time-domain modeling. This approach opens new avenues for marine biology, contributing to research in echolocation, the impacts of anthropogenic marine noise pollution and the biophysics of hearing and click generation in marine mammals. By overcoming FEM's limitations, SEM provides a powerful scalable tool to test hypotheses about dolphin bioacoustics, with significant implications for conservation and understanding marine mammal auditory systems under increasing environmental challenges.