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People increase their vocal output in noisy environments. This is known as the Lombard effect. The aim of the present study was to measure the effect as a function of the absorption coefficient. The noise source was generated by using other talkers in the room. A-weighted sound levels were measured in a 108 m 3 test room. The number of talkers varied from one to four and the absorption coefficients from 0.12 to 0.64. A model was introduced based on the logarithmic sum of the level found in an anechoic room plus the increasing portion of noise levels up to 80 dB. Results show that the model fits the measurements when a maximum slope of 0.5 dB per 1.0 dB increase in background level is used. Hence Lombard slopes vary from 0.2 dB/ dB at 50 dB background level to 0.5 dB/ dB at 80 dB. In addition, both measurements and the model predict a decrease of 5.5 dB per doubling of absorbing area in a room when the number of talkers is constant. Sound pressure levels increase for a doubling of talkers from 3 dB for low densities to 6 dB for dense crowds. Finally, there was correspondence between the model estimation and previous measurements reported in the literature.

A method is introduced to calculate the influence of wind and temperature gradients in stratified media on sound propagating above an absorbing ground surface. It is based on the "two-way wave equation" for the Fourier transforms of the sound pressure P and its derivative V. The vector containing P and Vis stepwise extrapolated through the medium in the direction perpendicular to the ground surface, fulfilling the boundary conditions at the ground surface, at a top level, and at the source height. The propagation equations for P and V appear as simple plane-wave equations, and computer (CP[,I) time within each layer is very low. Therefore, many thin layers (in the order of centimeters if desired) can be applied, and any complicated gradient can be used. Calculations for a homogeneous atmosphere, with a computer program based on this model, show an excellent agreement with previous models. When a wind profile is present, results are mainly compared with measurements by Parkin and Scholes [P. H. Parkin and W. E. Scholes, J. Sound Vib. 1, 1-13 (1964); 2, 353-374 (1964) ]. They show very good agreement in the no-wind and downwind cases. In the upwind situation, agreement is very good below 500 Hz. Above this value the model does not predict sound to penetrate into the shadow region, while Parkin and Scholes found (low) sound levels.