Infrasound Signal Characteristics from Small Earthquakes
Abstract
Understanding the source properties responsible for infrasound generation is critical to developing a seismo-acoustic data discriminant to distinguish between near-surface explosions and earthquakes. The regional seismicity, complex topography, open-pit quarries, and subsurface mining in the Utah region create a unique setting for the study of near-field infrasound. The Utah network has been operating three permanent infrasound arrays collocated with seismic stations NOQ (2006), BGU (2007), and EPU (2007). Additionally, four new arrays were installed and collocated with existing seismic stations BRPU, FSUT, HWUT, and WMUT. This summer three additional arrays will be collocated at stations LCMT, PSUT, and RCJ. Each array consists of four infrasound sensors with an average spacing of ~100 m, recording at 100 samples/s, and all data is telemetered to the University of Utah in near-real-time. This increased array coverage provides greater likelihood for independent locations of infrasound sources using crossing backazimuth estimates. The data from the arrays are being processed with InfraMonitor which generates lists of detections and catalogs of located infrasound sources. Once processing is complete, the detections will be used to correlate and model the infrasound generation by earthquakes utilizing preexisting earthquake scaling relations dependent on depth, magnitude, and mechanism. The observations made during this study will contribute to refining the source excitation model for infrasound.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Sep 01, 2010
- Accession Number
- ADA569459
Entities
People
- Brian W. Stump
- Chris Hayward
- George E. Randall
- J. M. Hale
- Kristine L. Pankow
- Relu Burlacu
- Stephen J. Arrowsmith
- Steven R. Taylor
Organizations
- Los Alamos National Laboratory