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1. Characterizing Infrasound Station Frequency Response Using Large Earthquakes and Colocated Seismometers

   https://doi.org/10.1785/0120220226  

   Fee, David; Macpherson, Kenneth; Gabrielson, Thomas (February 2023, Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America)

   ABSTRACT Earthquakes generate infrasound in multiple ways. Acoustic coupling at the surface from vertical seismic velocity, termed local infrasound, is often recorded by infrasound sensors but has seen relatively little study. Over 140 infrasound stations have recently been deployed in Alaska. Most of these stations have single sensors, rather than arrays, and were originally installed as part of the EarthScope Transportable Array. The single sensor nature, paucity of ground-truth signals, and remoteness makes evaluating their data quality and utility challenging. In addition, despite notable recent advances, infrasound calibration and frequency response evaluation remains challenging, particularly for large networks and retrospective analysis of sensors already installed. Here, we examine local seismoacoustic coupling on colocated seismic and infrasound stations in Alaska. Numerous large earthquakes across the region in recent years generated considerable vertical seismic velocity and local infrasound that were recorded on colocated sensors. We build on previous work and evaluate the full infrasound station frequency response using seismoacoustic coupled waves. By employing targeted signal processing techniques, we show that a single seismometer may be sufficient for characterizing the response of an entire nearby infrasound array. We find that good low frequency (<1 Hz) infrasound station response estimates can be derived from large (Mw>7) earthquakes out to at least 1500 km. High infrasound noise levels at some stations and seismic-wave energy focused at low frequencies limit our response estimates. The response of multiple stations in Alaska is found to differ considerably from their metadata and are related to improper installation and erroneous metadata. Our method provides a robust way to remotely examine infrasound station frequency response and examine seismoacoustic coupling, which is being increasingly used in airborne infrasound observations, earthquake magnitude estimation, and other applications. 

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2. Evaluating the temporal capability of empirical climatologies for rapid long-range volcanic infrasound propagation estimates using a multidecadal data set of persistent Vanuatu volcanic eruptions

   https://doi.org/10.1093/gji/ggaf027  

   De Negri, Rodrigo S; Matoza, Robin S; Hupe, Patrick; Le Pichon, Alexis; Rose, Kaelynn M; Cevuard, Sandrine; Niroa, John J (February 2025, Geophysical Journal International)

   SUMMARY Powerful infrasound (acoustic waves $$\lt $$20 Hz) can be produced by explosive volcanic eruptions. The long-range propagation capability, over hundreds to thousands of kilometers, of atmospheric infrasound motivates the development of regional or even global scale volcano-infrasound monitoring systems. Infrasound propagation paths are subject to spatiotemporal atmospheric dynamics, which lead to deviations in the direction-of-arrival (back-azimuth) observed at sensor arrays and contribute to source location uncertainty. Here, we further investigate the utility of empirical climatologies combined with 3-D ray tracing for providing first-order estimates of infrasound propagation paths and back-azimuth deviation corrections. The intended application is in scenarios requiring rapid or pre-computed infrasound propagation calculations, such as for a volcano-infrasound monitoring system. Empirical climatologies are global observationally based function fitting models of the atmosphere, representing robust predictors of the bulk diurnal to seasonal atmospheric variability. Infrasound propagation characteristics have previously been shown to have strong seasonal and diurnal components. At the International Monitoring System infrasound station IS22, New Caledonia, quasi-continuous multiyear infrasound array detections show oscillating azimuthal variations for arrivals from volcanoes in Vanuatu, including Yasur ($$\sim$$400 km range), Ambrym ($$\sim$$670 km range) and Lopevi ($$\sim$$650 km range). We perform 3-D ray tracing to model infrasound propagation from the Ambrym and Yasur volcano locations to IS22 every six hours (00:00, 06:00, 12:00 and 18:00 UTC) for every day of 2004 and 2019 for Ambrym and Yasur, respectively and evaluate the results as compared to the multiyear observations. We assess a variety of models and parametrizations, including both empirical climatologies and hybrid descriptions; range-independent and range-dependent atmospheric discretizations; and unperturbed and perturbed range-independent empirical climatologies. The hybrid atmospheric descriptions are composed of fifth generation reanalysis descriptions (ERA 5) from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts below $$\sim$$80 km altitude combined with empirical climatologies above. We propose and employ simple parametric perturbations to the empirical climatologies, which are designed to enhance the stratospheric duct and compensate for missing gravity wave perturbations not included in the climatologies, and thereby better match observations. We build year-long back-azimuth deviation interpolations from the simulations and compare them with three different multiyear array detection data sets from IS22 covering from 2003 up to 2022. Through a systematic comparison, we find that the range-independent empirical climatologies can capture bulk azimuth deviation variability and could thus be useful for rapid infrasound propagation calculation scenarios, particularly during favourable sustained propagation ducting conditions. We show that the hybrid models better describe infrasound propagation during periods of weak stratospheric ducting and during transient atmospheric changes such as stratospheric wind reversals. Overall, our results support the notion that climatologies, if perturbed to compensate for missing gravity wave structure, can improve rapid low-latency and pre-computed infrasound source discrimination and location procedures. 

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3. Infrasound single-channel noise reduction: application to detection and localization of explosive volcanism in Alaska using backprojection and array processing

   https://doi.org/10.1093/gji/ggac182  

   Sanderson, Richard W; Matoza, Robin S; Fee, David; Haney, Matthew M; Lyons, John J (January 2022, Geophysical Journal International)

   Summary Infrasound sensors are deployed in a variety of spatial configurations and scales for geophysical monitoring, including networks of single sensors and networks of multi-sensor infrasound arrays. Infrasound signal detection strategies exploiting these data commonly make use of inter-sensor correlation and coherence (array processing, multi-channel correlation); network-based tracking of signal features (e.g. reverse time migration); or a combination of these such as backazimuth cross-bearings for multiple arrays. Single-sensor trace-based denoising techniques offer significant potential to improve all of these various infrasound data processing strategies, but have not previously been investigated in detail. Single-sensor denoising represents a preprocessing step that could reduce the effects of ambient infrasound and wind noise in infrasound signal association and location workflows. We systematically investigate the utility of a range of single-sensor denoising methods for infrasound data processing, including noise gating, non-negative matrix factorisation, and data-adaptive Wiener filtering. For the data testbed, we use the relatively dense regional infrasound network in Alaska, which records a high rate of volcanic eruptions with signals varying in power, duration, and waveform and spectral character. We primarily use data from the 2016–2017 Bogoslof volcanic eruption, which included multiple explosions, and synthetics. The Bogoslof volcanic sequence provides an opportunity to investigate regional infrasound detection, association, and location for a set of real sources with varying source spectra subject to anisotropic atmospheric propagation and varying noise levels (both incoherent wind noise and coherent ambient infrasound, primarily microbaroms). We illustrate the advantages and disadvantages of the different denoising methods in categories such as event detection, waveform distortion, the need for manual data labelling, and computational cost. For all approaches, denoising generally performs better for signals with higher SNR and with less spectral and temporal overlap between signals and noise. Microbaroms are the most globally pervasive and repetitive coherent ambient infrasound noise source, with such noise often referred to as clutter or interference. We find that denoising offers significant potential for microbarom clutter reduction. Single-channel denoising of microbaroms prior to standard array processing enhances both the quantity and bandwidth of detectable volcanic events. We find that reduction of incoherent wind noise is more challenging using the denoising methods we investigate; thus, station hardware (wind noise reduction systems) and site selection remain critical and cannot be replaced by currently available digital denoising methodologies. Overall, we find that adding single-channel denoising as a component in the processing workflow can benefit a variety of infrasound signal detection, association, and location schemes. The denoising methods can also isolate the noise itself, with utility in statistically characterizing ambient infrasound noise. 

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4. Seismoacoustic Wavefield at Popocatépetl Volcano, Mexico, Captured by a Temporary Broadband Network from 2021 to 2022

   https://doi.org/10.1785/0220240199  

   Mendo-Pérez, Gerardo; Arciniega-Ceballos, Alejandra; Matoza, Robin S; Rosado-Fuentes, Alejandro; Sanderson, Richard W; Claypool, Miranda R (July 2024, Seismological Research Letters)

   Abstract Popocatépetl is a highly active stratovolcano in central Mexico with recurrent activity of Vulcanian-type explosions and frequent degassing. The proximity of Popocatépetl volcano to Mexico City, one of the most populated cities in the world, demands continuous monitoring to achieve an adequate volcano risk assessment. We present an overview of the first high-dynamic-range and high-broadband (0.01–200 Hz; 400 Hz sampling rate) seismoacoustic network (PoPiNet), which we operated around Popocatépetl volcano from August 2021 to May 2022. Here, we show preliminary results of the explosions recorded in September 2021. We deployed five seismoacoustic stations within 4–25 km horizontal distance (range) from the vent. We identify infrasonic waveforms associated with tremor and explosions, with pressures ranging from 16 to 134 Pa and dominant frequencies between 0.2 and 5.0 Hz. The frequency content of the recorded signals at the closest stations to the volcano spans the sub-bass (20–60 Hz) and bass (60–250 Hz) ranges. The associated seismic signals of moderate explosions exhibit air-to-ground coupled waves with maximum coherence values at frequencies up to 5 and 25 Hz for the farthest and closest stations to the volcano, respectively. Conversely, we observe infrasound signal amplitudes from relatively small explosions reaching maximum pressures of 10 Pa that do not couple into the ground, even at the closest stations. These infrasound signals are associated with type-I long-period events as reported in previous investigations. The waveform consistency suggests repetitive and nondestructive sources beneath the volcano. 

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5. Using Local Infrasound to Estimate Seismic Velocity and Earthquake Magnitudes

   https://doi.org/10.1785/0120220237  

   Macpherson, Kenneth A.; Fee, David; Coffey, Juliann R.; Witsil, Alex J. (April 2023, Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America)

   ABSTRACT Earthquake ground motions in the vicinity of receivers couple with the atmosphere to generate pressure perturbations that are detectable by infrasound sensors. These so-called local infrasound signals traverse very short source-to-receiver paths, so that they often exhibit a remarkable correlation with seismic velocity waveforms at collocated seismic stations, and there exists a simple relationship between vertical seismic velocity and pressure time series. This study leverages the large regional network of infrasound sensors in Alaska to examine local infrasound from several light to great Alaska earthquakes. We estimate seismic velocity time series from infrasound pressure records and use these converted infrasound recordings to compute earthquake magnitudes. This technique has potential utility beyond the novelty of recording seismic velocities on pressure sensors. Because local infrasound amplitudes from ground motions are small, it is possible to recover seismic velocities at collocated sites where the broadband seismometers have clipped. Infrasound-derived earthquake magnitudes exhibit good agreement with seismically derived values. This proof-of-concept demonstration of computing seismic magnitudes from infrasound sensors illustrates that infrasound sensors may be utilized as proxy vertical-component seismometers, making a new data set available for existing seismic techniques. Because single-sensor infrasound stations are relatively inexpensive and are becoming ubiquitous, this technique could be used to augment existing regional seismic networks using a readily available sensor platform. 

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