The past two decades have seen a number of successful applications of the theory of wave propagation in stratified mediums to ocean acoustics, having the straightforward objective of comparing an observed acoustical field, in as much detail as possible, with that calculated under suitable simplifying assumptions. But this approach has intrinsic limitations due to the fact that the ocean is not the fixed, simply stratified medium assumed in the theory. It is an irregular, fluctuating medium; therefore a completely deterministic attitude toward it is impossible. It appears that future advances in our understanding of ocean acoustics must rely heavily on statistical and stochastic theory and on the considered use of modern data‐processing methods. In this spirit, we suggest a fundamentally new approach to long‐range, low‐frequency acoustic propagation experiments, consisting of spectrum‐analyzing the square of the acoustical pressure versus range for interference wavelengt