  New data was obtained for a frequency band that had not been so well-studied
for sea surface probing applications before. During the described 2-weeks sea
experiment 1-3 kHz tonal pulses were emitted from a platform, located on the
northern Black Sea shelf, and Doppler spectrum of reverberation was studied. We
believe that this band is worth further studying due the sound propagation
range is large enough to meet practical needs in coastal zone while the
angle-distance resolution is quite moderate. However it is quite difficult to
interpret the obtained data since backscattering spectrum shape is influenced
by a series of effects and has a complicated link to wind waves and currents
parameters. Backscattering of acoustical signals was received for distances
around 2 nautical miles. Significant wave height, dominant wave frequency were
estimated as the result of such signals processing with the use of machine
learning tools. A decision-tree-based mathematical regression model was trained
to solve the inverse problem. Wind waves prediction is in a good agreement with
direct measurements, made on the platform, and machine learning results allow
physical interpretation.
