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Infrasound, Acoustic-Gravity Waves, and Atmospheric Dynamics

A special issue of Remote Sensing (ISSN 2072-4292). This special issue belongs to the section "Atmospheric Remote Sensing".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 January 2023) | Viewed by 24594

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Laboratoire atmosphères, milieux, observations spatiales, Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, 78280 Guyancourt, France
Interests: dynamics of the middle atmosphere; gravity waves; atmospheric Lidar sounding
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Guest Editor
CEA, DAM, DIF, F-91297 Arpajon, France
Interests: infrasound observation and propagation modelling; atmospheric dynamics; gravity waves

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Guest Editor
BGR (Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources), 30655 Hannover, Germany
Interests: infrasound (observation, data processing, propagation modelling); amospheric dynamics; seismoacoustics

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Atmospheric dynamic processes are driving the coupling between the different atmospheric layers. An improved characterization of these processes is crucial to a better understanding of the role that infrasound and acoustic-gravity waves play in the coupled Earth’s crust–ocean–atmosphere system, up to the ionosphere, where manifestations of physical processes occurring in the ocean, the crust, and the lower atmosphere can be detected.

The field of infrasonic research, i.e., the science of low-frequency acoustic waves, has expanded to include acoustic-gravity waves and has developed into a broad interdisciplinary field encompassing academic disciplines of geophysics and recent technical and fundamental scientific developments. Recent studies have offered new insights on quantitative relationships between infrasonic observations and atmospheric dynamics and therefore open a new field for atmospheric remote sensing.

New studies using lidar, radar, microwave spectrometery, and mesospheric airglow observations complemented by satellite measurements help to better determine the interaction between atmospheric layers from the ground to the mesosphere and the influence of atmospheric waves on the mean flow. It is expected that further developing multi-instrument platforms would support the improvement of gravity wave parameterizations and enlarge the science community interested in operational infrasound monitoring.

In a higher frequency range, infrasound monitoring systems also offer a unique opportunity to provide, in near-real time, continuous relevant information about natural hazards with high societal impact, such as large volcanic eruptions, surface earthquakes, meteorites, and severe weather.

In this Special Issue, linked to the homonym session AS1.6 at the EGU General Assembly 2022 (https://meetingorganizer.copernicus.org/EGU22/session/43909), we encourage research papers covering the above-mentioned aspects or similar studies of infrasound, acoustic-gravity waves, and relevant atmospheric dynamic processes such as sudden stratospheric warmings, planetary waves, atmospheric tides, etc. Results and advances in data processing, propagation modelling, and innovative instrumentation, which also encompasses the extension of regional array networks as well as the utilization of infrasound for monitoring of extreme events, are welcome. 

Dr. Alain Hauchecorne
Dr. Constantino Listowski
Dr. Patrick Hupe
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • infrasound monitoring
  • acoustic-gravity waves
  • atmospheric dynamics
  • Lidar measurements
  • radar measurements
  • airflow
  • natural hazards
  • stratosphere
  • mesosphere

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Published Papers (9 papers)

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Research

32 pages, 11027 KiB  
Article
Case Study of a Mesospheric Temperature Inversion over Maïdo Observatory through a Multi-Instrumental Observation
by Fabrice Chane Ming, Alain Hauchecorne, Christophe Bellisario, Pierre Simoneau, Philippe Keckhut, Samuel Trémoulu, Constantino Listowski, Gwenaël Berthet, Fabrice Jégou, Sergey Khaykin, Mariam Tidiga and Alexis Le Pichon
Remote Sens. 2023, 15(8), 2045; https://doi.org/10.3390/rs15082045 - 12 Apr 2023
Viewed by 2101
Abstract
The dynamic vertical coupling in the middle and lower thermosphere (MLT) is documented over the Maïdo observatory at La Réunion island (21°S, 55°E). The investigation uses data obtained in the framework of the Atmospheric dynamics Research InfraStructure in Europe (ARISE) project. In particular, [...] Read more.
The dynamic vertical coupling in the middle and lower thermosphere (MLT) is documented over the Maïdo observatory at La Réunion island (21°S, 55°E). The investigation uses data obtained in the framework of the Atmospheric dynamics Research InfraStructure in Europe (ARISE) project. In particular, Rayleigh lidar and nightglow measurements combined with other observations and modeling provide information on a mesospheric inversion layer (MIL) and the related gravity waves (GWs) on 9 and 10 October 2017. A Rossby wave breaking (RWB) produced instabilities in the sheared background wind and a strong tropospheric activity of GWs on 9–11 October above La Réunion. The MIL was observed on the night of 9 October when a large amount of tropospheric GWs propagated upward into the middle atmosphere and disappeared on 11 October when the stratospheric zonal wind filtering became a significant blocking. Among other results, dominant mesospheric GW modes with vertical wavelengths of about 4–6 km and 10–13 km can be traced down to the troposphere and up to the mesopause. Dominant GWs with a wavelength of ~2–3 km and 6 km also propagated upward and eastward from the tropospheric source into the stratosphere on 9–11 October. Sounding of the Atmosphere using Broadband Emission Radiometry (SABER) temperature and OH profiles indicate that GW activity in the middle atmosphere affects the upper atmosphere with waves breaking at heights below the MIL and in the mesopause. Several techniques are illustrated on nightglow images to access GW activity and spectral characteristics at the mesopause for high and low frequency GWs on the nights of 9–10 October. In conclusion, intense tropospheric activity of GWs induced by RWB events can be linked with MILs at the subtropical barrier in the South-West Indian Ocean during austral winter. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Infrasound, Acoustic-Gravity Waves, and Atmospheric Dynamics)
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32 pages, 1924 KiB  
Article
Contribution to Uncertainty Propagation Associated with On-Site Calibration of Infrasound Monitoring Systems
by Séverine Demeyer, Samuel K. Kristoffersen, Alexis Le Pichon, Franck Larsonnier and Nicolas Fischer
Remote Sens. 2023, 15(7), 1892; https://doi.org/10.3390/rs15071892 - 31 Mar 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1660
Abstract
To improve the confidence and quality of measurements produced by regional and international infrasound monitoring networks, this work investigates a methodology for propagating uncertainty associated with on-site measurement systems. We focus on the propagation of sensor calibration uncertainties. The proposed approach is applied [...] Read more.
To improve the confidence and quality of measurements produced by regional and international infrasound monitoring networks, this work investigates a methodology for propagating uncertainty associated with on-site measurement systems. We focus on the propagation of sensor calibration uncertainties. The proposed approach is applied to synthetic infrasound signals with known back azimuth and trace velocity, recorded at the array elements. Relevant input uncertainties are investigated for propagation targeting the incoming signals (noise), instrumentation (microbarometers, calibration system, wind noise reduction system), and the time-delay-of-arrival (TDOA) model (frequency band). Uncertainty propagation is performed using the Monte Carlo method to obtain the corresponding uncertainties of the relevant output quantities of interest, namely back azimuth and trace velocity. The results indicate that, at high frequencies, large sensor uncertainties are acceptable. However, at low frequencies (<0.1 Hz), even a 2 sensor phase uncertainty can lead to errors in the back azimuth of up to 5 and errors in the trace velocity of 20 m/s. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Infrasound, Acoustic-Gravity Waves, and Atmospheric Dynamics)
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20 pages, 2220 KiB  
Article
A Single Array Approach for Infrasound Signal Discrimination from Quarry Blasts via Machine Learning
by Marcell Pásztor, Csenge Czanik and István Bondár
Remote Sens. 2023, 15(6), 1657; https://doi.org/10.3390/rs15061657 - 19 Mar 2023
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2335
Abstract
Since various phenomena produce infrasound, including both man-made and natural sources, the ever-growing dataflow demands automatic processes via machine learning for signal classification. In this study, we demonstrate a single array approach at the Piszkés-tető (PSZI) infrasound array. Our dataset contains nearly 14,000 [...] Read more.
Since various phenomena produce infrasound, including both man-made and natural sources, the ever-growing dataflow demands automatic processes via machine learning for signal classification. In this study, we demonstrate a single array approach at the Piszkés-tető (PSZI) infrasound array. Our dataset contains nearly 14,000 manually categorized infrasound detections, processed with the progressive multi channel correlation (PMCC) algorithm from three different sources, such as quarry blasts, storms and signals from a power plant. The dataset was split into a training, a validation and a test subset. Time and frequency domain features as well as PMCC-related features were extracted. Three additional PMCC-related features were constructed in a way to measure the similarity between detections and to be used in single array monitoring. Two different classifiers, support vector machine and random forest, were used for training. Training was performed with three-fold cross validation with grid search. The classifiers were tuned on the training and validation set using the f1 metric (harmonic mean of positive predictive value and true positive rate). Training, validation and testing were performed with and without our three new features that measure similarity between the detections in order to assess their importance in single array monitoring. The selected classifiers reached f1 scores between 0.88 and 0.93. Our results show a promising step toward automatic infrasound event classification. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Infrasound, Acoustic-Gravity Waves, and Atmospheric Dynamics)
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23 pages, 18629 KiB  
Article
Infrasound and Low-Audible Acoustic Detections from a Long-Term Microphone Array Deployment in Oklahoma
by Trevor C. Wilson, Christopher E. Petrin and Brian R. Elbing
Remote Sens. 2023, 15(5), 1455; https://doi.org/10.3390/rs15051455 - 5 Mar 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 3754
Abstract
A three-microphone acoustic array (OSU1), with microphones that have a flat response from 0.1 to 200 Hz, was deployed for 6 years (2016–2022) at Oklahoma State University (OSU) in Stillwater, Oklahoma, and sampled at 1000 Hz. This study presents a new dataset of [...] Read more.
A three-microphone acoustic array (OSU1), with microphones that have a flat response from 0.1 to 200 Hz, was deployed for 6 years (2016–2022) at Oklahoma State University (OSU) in Stillwater, Oklahoma, and sampled at 1000 Hz. This study presents a new dataset of acoustic measurements in a high interest region (e.g., study of tornado infrasound), provides a broad overview of acoustic detections and the means to identify them, and provides access to these recordings to the broader scientific community. A wide variety of infrasound and low-audible sources were identified and characterized via analysis of time traces, power spectral densities, spectrograms, and beamforming. Low, median, and high noise models were compared with global noise models. Detected sources investigated include natural (microbaroms, bolides, earthquakes, and tornadoes) and anthropomorphic (fireworks, airplanes, and munition detonations) phenomena. Microbarom detections showed consistency with literature (~0.2 Hz with peak amplitude in the winter) and evidence that the frequency was inversely related to the amplitude. Fireworks and airplanes served as verified local events for the evaluation of data quality and processing procedures. Infrasound from munition detonations, that occur nearly daily at a location 180 km southeast of OSU1, matched the available ground truth on days with favorable propagation to OSU1. A clear bolide detection with an estimated position of approximately 300 km from OSU1 was shown. Most detected earthquakes were seismic arrivals due to sensor vibrations; however, the largest earthquake in Oklahoma history showed an acoustic arrival. Finally, data from multiple tornadoes are discussed, including a previously unpublished quasi-linear convective system tornado. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Infrasound, Acoustic-Gravity Waves, and Atmospheric Dynamics)
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18 pages, 3670 KiB  
Article
Detection of the Large Surface Explosion Coupling Experiment by a Sparse Network of Balloon-Borne Infrasound Sensors
by Elizabeth A. Silber, Daniel C. Bowman and Miro Ronac Giannone
Remote Sens. 2023, 15(2), 542; https://doi.org/10.3390/rs15020542 - 16 Jan 2023
Cited by 11 | Viewed by 3334
Abstract
In recent years, high-altitude infrasound sensing has become more prolific, demonstrating an enormous value especially when utilized over regions inaccessible to traditional ground-based sensing. Similar to ground-based infrasound detectors, airborne sensors take advantage of the fact that impulsive atmospheric events such as explosions [...] Read more.
In recent years, high-altitude infrasound sensing has become more prolific, demonstrating an enormous value especially when utilized over regions inaccessible to traditional ground-based sensing. Similar to ground-based infrasound detectors, airborne sensors take advantage of the fact that impulsive atmospheric events such as explosions can generate low frequency acoustic waves, also known as infrasound. Due to negligible attenuation, infrasonic waves can travel over long distances, and provide important clues about their source. Here, we report infrasound detections of the Apollo detonation that was carried on 29 October 2020 as part of the Large Surface Explosion Coupling Experiment in Nevada, USA. Infrasound sensors attached to solar hot air balloons floating in the stratosphere detected the signals generated by the explosion at distances 170–210 km. Three distinct arrival phases seen in the signals are indicative of multipathing caused by the small-scale perturbations in the atmosphere. We also found that the local acoustic environment at these altitudes is more complex than previously thought. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Infrasound, Acoustic-Gravity Waves, and Atmospheric Dynamics)
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30 pages, 8911 KiB  
Article
Remote Monitoring of Mediterranean Hurricanes Using Infrasound
by Constantino Listowski, Edouard Forestier, Stavros Dafis, Thomas Farges, Marine De Carlo, Florian Grimaldi, Alexis Le Pichon, Julien Vergoz, Philippe Heinrich and Chantal Claud
Remote Sens. 2022, 14(23), 6162; https://doi.org/10.3390/rs14236162 - 5 Dec 2022
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 3156
Abstract
Mediterranean hurricanes, or medicanes, are tropical-like cyclones forming once or twice per year over the waters of the Mediterranean Sea. These mesocyclones pose a serious threat to coastal infrastructure and lives because of their strong winds and intense rainfall. Infrasound technology has already [...] Read more.
Mediterranean hurricanes, or medicanes, are tropical-like cyclones forming once or twice per year over the waters of the Mediterranean Sea. These mesocyclones pose a serious threat to coastal infrastructure and lives because of their strong winds and intense rainfall. Infrasound technology has already been employed to investigate the acoustic signatures of severe weather events, and this study aims at characterizing, for the first time, the infrasound detections that can be related to medicanes. This work also contributes to infrasound source discrimination efforts in the context of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty. We use data from the infrasound station IS48 of the International Monitoring System in Tunisia to investigate the infrasound signatures of mesocyclones using a multi-channel correlation algorithm. We discuss the detections using meteorological fields to assess the presence of stratospheric waveguides favoring propagation. We corroborate the detections by considering other datasets, such as satellite observations, a surface lightning detection network, and products mapping the simulated intensity of the swell. High- and low-frequency detections are evidenced for three medicanes at distances ranging between 250 and 1100 km from the station. Several cases of non-detection are also discussed. While deep convective systems, and mostly lightning within them, seem to be the main source of detections above 1 Hz, hotspots of swell (microbarom) related to the medicanes are evidenced between 0.1 and 0.5 Hz. In the latter case, simulations of microbarom detections are consistent with the observations. Multi-source situations are highlighted, stressing the need for more resilient detection-estimation algorithms. Cloud-to-ground lightning seems not to explain all high-frequency detections, suggesting that additional sources of electrical or dynamical origin may be at play that are related to deep convective systems. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Infrasound, Acoustic-Gravity Waves, and Atmospheric Dynamics)
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16 pages, 5437 KiB  
Article
Decadal Continuous Meteor-Radar Estimation of the Mesopause Gravity Wave Momentum Fluxes over Mohe: Capability Evaluation and Interannual Variation
by Xu Zhou, Xinan Yue, Libo Liu, You Yu, Feng Ding, Zhipeng Ren, Yuyan Jin and Hanlin Yin
Remote Sens. 2022, 14(22), 5729; https://doi.org/10.3390/rs14225729 - 12 Nov 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1884
Abstract
In the present work, the momentum fluxes of gravity wave (GW) around the mesopause are estimated, using the decadal continuous observations by meteor radar at Mohe (53.5°N, 122.3°E). Applying the Hocking’s (2005) approach with the modified-composite-day (MCD) analysis, the GW momentum fluxes of [...] Read more.
In the present work, the momentum fluxes of gravity wave (GW) around the mesopause are estimated, using the decadal continuous observations by meteor radar at Mohe (53.5°N, 122.3°E). Applying the Hocking’s (2005) approach with the modified-composite-day (MCD) analysis, the GW momentum fluxes of short-periods (less than 2 h) are estimated month by month. As the first step, several experiments are designed to evaluate the accuracy and uncertainty in the estimation. The results show that Mohe meteor radar has the ability to give reasonable estimations on the GW momentum fluxes at a height of 82–94 km, in which errors are generally less than 5 m2/s2. The uncertainty induced by different angular information of the detected meteor in each month achieves ~2 m2/s2. It is inferred that the variability of the GW momentum fluxes over 2 m2/s2 can be distinguished in the observation. The interannual variation of the estimated GW momentum fluxes show a significant enhancement in 2012, and a depression in 2013, with a fluctuation over ±10 m2/s2 at 82 km. However, no obvious quasi-biennial oscillation (QBO) -like signal has been found in the Lomb–Scargle periodogram. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Infrasound, Acoustic-Gravity Waves, and Atmospheric Dynamics)
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25 pages, 2615 KiB  
Article
Infrasound Source Localization of Distributed Stations Using Sparse Bayesian Learning and Bayesian Information Fusion
by Ran Wang, Xiaoquan Yi, Liang Yu, Chenyu Zhang, Tongdong Wang and Xiaopeng Zhang
Remote Sens. 2022, 14(13), 3181; https://doi.org/10.3390/rs14133181 - 2 Jul 2022
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2757
Abstract
The precise localization of the infrasound source is important for infrasound event monitoring. The localization of infrasound sources is influenced by the atmospheric propagation environment and infrasound measurement equipment in the large-scale global distribution of infrasound arrays. A distributed infrasound source localization method [...] Read more.
The precise localization of the infrasound source is important for infrasound event monitoring. The localization of infrasound sources is influenced by the atmospheric propagation environment and infrasound measurement equipment in the large-scale global distribution of infrasound arrays. A distributed infrasound source localization method based on sparse Bayesian learning (SBL) and Bayesian information fusion is proposed to reduce the localization error. First, the arrival azimuth of the infrasound source is obtained based on the SBL algorithm. Then, the infrasound source localization result is obtained by the Bayesian information fusion algorithm. The localization error of the infrasound source can be reduced by this infrasound source method, which incorporates the uncertainty of the infrasound propagation environment and infrasound measurement equipment into the infrasound source localization results. The effectiveness of the proposed algorithm was validated using rocket motor explosion data from the Utah Test and Training Range (UTTR). The experimental results show that the arrival azimuth estimation error can be within 2° and the localization distance error is 3.5 km. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Infrasound, Acoustic-Gravity Waves, and Atmospheric Dynamics)
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17 pages, 13906 KiB  
Article
Features of Winter Stratosphere Small-Scale Disturbance during Sudden Stratospheric Warmings
by Anna S. Yasyukevich, Marina A. Chernigovskaya, Boris G. Shpynev, Denis S. Khabituev and Yury V. Yasyukevich
Remote Sens. 2022, 14(12), 2798; https://doi.org/10.3390/rs14122798 - 10 Jun 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1692
Abstract
We analyzed the characteristics of small-scale wave disturbances emerging during the evolution and transformation of the jet stream (JS) in the winter stratosphere and the lower mesosphere of the northern hemisphere, including the periods of sudden stratospheric warming (SSW) events. Continuous generation of [...] Read more.
We analyzed the characteristics of small-scale wave disturbances emerging during the evolution and transformation of the jet stream (JS) in the winter stratosphere and the lower mesosphere of the northern hemisphere, including the periods of sudden stratospheric warming (SSW) events. Continuous generation of small-scale wave disturbances is shown to occur over quiet geomagnetic winter periods in the region of a steady jet stream in the strato–mesosphere. We studied spatial spectra for the vertical velocity variations, determined by the parameters of emerging wave disturbances. The greatest intensities of disturbances are recorded in the regions corresponding to the high velocities of the JS (from 100 m/s and higher). In the northern hemisphere, those latitudes encompass ~40–60° N. When a steady jet stream forms, the horizontal length and periods of the most intensive wavelike disturbances are shown to vary within 300–1000 km and 50–150 min correspondingly (which match the characteristic scales of internal gravity waves, or IGWs). During the SSW prewarming stage, the JS transforms substantially. Over the same periods, a disturbance intensification is recorded, as well as the emergence of larger-scale disturbances with 3000–5000-km horizontal wavelengths, and even higher. After the SSW peak and during the stratosphere circulation recovery, the velocity in the JS substantially decreases and an essential reduction in wave-disturbance generation occurs. There are decreases in the average amplitude values (by factors of 1.8–6.7). The strongest amplitude drop was observed for short waves (zonal wavelength λU = 300 km). The maximum attenuation for all wavelengths was observed for the strongest 2008/2009 winter SSW. For the analyzed events, such attenuation was observed for up to about a month after the SSW peak. Thus, JS disruption during major SSWs leads to deactivating the source for generating small-scale wave disturbances in the stratosphere. This may affect disturbances in higher atmospheric layers. The results obtained are the experimental evidence that JS itself is the primary source for the generation of IGWs in the stratosphere–lower mesosphere. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Infrasound, Acoustic-Gravity Waves, and Atmospheric Dynamics)
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