attenuation attenuationthe decrease in the intensity of a wave due to the loss of acoustic energy to heat energy Related Articles: Glossary: transmission lossSonar Equation Example: Passive SonarHow does sound travel in shallow water?How does sound travel in very shallow waters?How is sound used to monitor and study seagrass beds?How does sound propagate through sediment? Chris Knowlton2017-02-26T20:09:57-05:00