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Title: Explosion-Generated Infrasound Recorded on Ground and Airborne Microbarometers at Regional Distances

Abstract

Recent work in deploying infrasound (low–frequency sound) sensors on aerostats and free–flying balloons has shown them to be viable alternatives to ground stations. However, no study to date has compared the performance of surface and free–floating infrasound microbarometers with respect to acoustic events at regional (100s of kilometers) range. The prospect of enhanced detection of aerial explosions at similar ranges, such as those from bolides, has not been investigated either. We examined infrasound signals from three 1–ton trinitrotoluene (TNT) equivalent chemical explosions using microbarometers on two separate balloons at 280– to 400–km ranges and ground stations at 6.3– to 350–km ranges. Signal celerities were consistent with acoustic waves traveling in the stratospheric duct. However, significant differences were noted between the observed arrival patterns and those predicted by an acoustic propagation model. Very low–background noise levels on the balloons were consistent with previous studies that suggest wind interference is minimal on freely drifting sensors. In conclusion, simulated propagation patterns and observed noise levels also confirm that balloon–borne microbarometers should be very effective at detecting explosions in the middle and upper atmosphere as well as those on the surface.

Authors:
 [1];  [2];  [3];  [4];  [2];  [5]
+ Show Author Affiliations
  1. Southwest Research Institute, Boulder, CO (United States)
  2. Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)
  3. Univ. of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC (United States)
  4. Univ. of Colorado, Boulder, CO (United States)
  5. Southwest Research Institute, Boulder, CO (United States); Syncroness, Inc., Westminister, CO (United States)
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA)
OSTI Identifier:
1459985
Report Number(s):
SAND2018-4543J
Journal ID: ISSN 0895-0695; 662599
Grant/Contract Number:  
AC04-94AL85000
Resource Type:
Accepted Manuscript
Journal Name:
Seismological Research Letters
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 89; Journal Issue: 4; Journal ID: ISSN 0895-0695
Publisher:
Seismological Society of America
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
58 GEOSCIENCES

Citation Formats

Young, Eliot F., Bowman, Daniel C., Lees, Jonathan M., Klein, Viliam, Arrowsmith, Stephen John, and Ballard, Courtney. Explosion-Generated Infrasound Recorded on Ground and Airborne Microbarometers at Regional Distances. United States: N. p., 2018. Web. doi:10.1785/0220180038.
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Young, Eliot F., Bowman, Daniel C., Lees, Jonathan M., Klein, Viliam, Arrowsmith, Stephen John, & Ballard, Courtney. Explosion-Generated Infrasound Recorded on Ground and Airborne Microbarometers at Regional Distances. United States. https://doi.org/10.1785/0220180038
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Young, Eliot F., Bowman, Daniel C., Lees, Jonathan M., Klein, Viliam, Arrowsmith, Stephen John, and Ballard, Courtney. Wed . "Explosion-Generated Infrasound Recorded on Ground and Airborne Microbarometers at Regional Distances". United States. https://doi.org/10.1785/0220180038. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1459985.
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@article{osti_1459985,
title = {Explosion-Generated Infrasound Recorded on Ground and Airborne Microbarometers at Regional Distances},
author = {Young, Eliot F. and Bowman, Daniel C. and Lees, Jonathan M. and Klein, Viliam and Arrowsmith, Stephen John and Ballard, Courtney},
abstractNote = {Recent work in deploying infrasound (low–frequency sound) sensors on aerostats and free–flying balloons has shown them to be viable alternatives to ground stations. However, no study to date has compared the performance of surface and free–floating infrasound microbarometers with respect to acoustic events at regional (100s of kilometers) range. The prospect of enhanced detection of aerial explosions at similar ranges, such as those from bolides, has not been investigated either. We examined infrasound signals from three 1–ton trinitrotoluene (TNT) equivalent chemical explosions using microbarometers on two separate balloons at 280– to 400–km ranges and ground stations at 6.3– to 350–km ranges. Signal celerities were consistent with acoustic waves traveling in the stratospheric duct. However, significant differences were noted between the observed arrival patterns and those predicted by an acoustic propagation model. Very low–background noise levels on the balloons were consistent with previous studies that suggest wind interference is minimal on freely drifting sensors. In conclusion, simulated propagation patterns and observed noise levels also confirm that balloon–borne microbarometers should be very effective at detecting explosions in the middle and upper atmosphere as well as those on the surface.},
doi = {10.1785/0220180038},
journal = {Seismological Research Letters},
number = 4,
volume = 89,
place = {United States},
year = {Wed May 23 00:00:00 EDT 2018},
month = {Wed May 23 00:00:00 EDT 2018}
}
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Journal Article:
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Publisher's Version of Record
https://doi.org/10.1785/0220180038
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Cited by: 9 works
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Works referenced in this record:

Data from: Explosion-generated infrasound recorded on ground and airborne microbarometers at regional distances
dataset, January 2019

Data from: Explosion-generated infrasound recorded on ground and airborne microbarometers at regional distances
dataset, January 2019

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Infrasound/seismic observation of the Hayabusa reentry: Observations and preliminary results
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    Works referencing / citing this record:

    Data from: Explosion-generated infrasound recorded on ground and airborne microbarometers at regional distances
    dataset, January 2019

    Numerical Simulation of the Atmospheric Signature of Artificial and Natural Seismic Events
    journal, November 2018

    • Martire, Léo; Brissaud, Quentin; Lai, Voon Hui
    • Geophysical Research Letters, Vol. 45, Issue 21
    • DOI: 10.1029/2018gl080485

    Data from: Explosion-generated infrasound recorded on ground and airborne microbarometers at regional distances
    dataset, January 2019

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