MSc Thesis on underwater noise propagation
Dive into underwater acoustics! Model how underwater noise travels — apply your coding and acoustic skills to protect marine life in a master’s thesis at IVL.
Background
Life in our coastal regions is under large environmental pressure from many human activities, one of which is underwater noise. To meet increasing demands for detailed modeling and measurements of underwater noise, a more detailed understanding of how noise propagates from noise sources to the environment is needed. As part of an ongoing research project to create underwater noise maps for recreational boats, IVL has measured propagation loss in the Koster Island marine protected area. These measurements show a variety of acoustic effects that are not captured by simple analytical models but require a numerical modelling approach to understand.
The project
The core of this Master thesis project is to develop a numerical acoustic propagation loss model and use it to model the measurement cases from the Koster Islands. The results of this numerical modelling should be compared with the measurements, where appropriate.
The numerical model must be able to handle propagation around islands, as well as a varying water depth. As such, an FDTD model would be the proposed approach for the project. The core research questions are:
- How to incorporate the varying bottom profile (bathymetry) in a FDTD model?
- How well can an FDTD model explain the propagation loss in this complicated acoustic environment?
- How sensitive is the FDTD modelling approach to environmental parameters, e.g. bottom sediment properties?
Qualifications
- Good programming skills. Implementing and/or modifying numerical algorithms require a good knowledge of how to translate numerical equations into functioning code.
- Solid understanding of acoustics.
Group size: one or two students.
Place: Gothenburg.
Start date: January, 2026.
Credits: 30.
IVL and our work on underwater noise
IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute is an independent, non-profit research institute that employs 500 people. We work very broadly within the field of sustainable development and undertake both research projects and expert consultancy.
Underwater noise is a growing topic and currently we are six researchers in acoustics, signal processing and marine biology.
The proposed master's thesis project(s) will be connected to a EU funded research project where one of the ais is to produce noise maps for recreational boating in the Koster Islands.
Contact
For questions, please contact:
Carl Andersson
carl.andersson@ivl.se
010-788 68 19
Interested?
Submit your interest by clicking on "Registration of interest".
- Department
- Process modelling and digitalisation
- Locations
- Gothenburg
- Employment type
- Exjobb/Degree project
- Last application date
- 19 December, 2025
Colleagues
About IVL Svenska Miljöinstitutet
IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute is an independent research institute with the broadest environmental profile in Sweden. Together with businesses, government agencies, and the research community, we drive the transition towards a sustainable society – from science to reality.
We engage in applied research and consulting assignments that contribute to achieving both the global sustainability goals and Sweden's environmental objectives.
Based in Sweden with an international presence across several continents, we work together with clients worldwide to drive sustainable development. The group has a turnover of 574 million SEK, and the Institute for Water and Air Protection Research Foundation (SIVL) is the sole owner of IVL. Representatives from both the business sector and government agencies sit on our boards.
Learn more about our Swedish and international operations at ivl.se
Already working at IVL Svenska Miljöinstitutet ?
Let’s recruit together and find your next colleague.