Acoustic techniques

Acoustic techniques use sound waves to investigate, measure, detect, or communicate information about objects, materials, environments, or processes.

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Ultrasound: Sound waves with frequencies above the range of human hearing, commonly used for imaging and measurement. High-frequency waves enable detailed imaging and sensing inside materials and bodies.
Medical ultrasonography: Medical imaging that uses reflected ultrasound waves to visualize internal anatomy and motion. It is a widely used clinical application of acoustic imaging.
Sound: A mechanical wave that propagates through a medium as pressure or particle motion. All acoustic techniques depend on sound traveling through a material or environment.
Electromagnetic waves: Waves of coupled electric and magnetic fields that propagate through space and matter. Unlike electromagnetic sensing, acoustic methods require a material medium.
Sonar: A system that uses sound propagation underwater to detect objects, map terrain, or measure distance. Echo timing and direction reveal underwater objects and seafloor structure.
Seismic reflection: A geophysical method that maps underground structures from reflected seismic waves. Reflections from subsurface layers support geological mapping and resource exploration.
Sound speed: The distance a sound wave travels through a medium per unit time. Known or measured sound speed converts travel time into distance and depth.
Optical imaging: Image formation using visible or other electromagnetic radiation. Sound can probe opaque materials and deeper regions that light cannot reach.
Acoustic impedance: A measure of how much a medium resists the passage of an acoustic wave. Impedance differences determine how much sound reflects at material boundaries.
Acoustic microscopy: Microscopy that uses high-frequency sound to image internal features of materials and devices. It inspects structures that optical microscopes cannot see through.