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In this study, we develop a method that assigns acoustic signals with Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) data to build a labeled dataset of acoustic signals from aircraft without expensive ground-truth experiments. An exploration of the resultant labeled dataset enables an assessment of the acoustic characteristics from three types of aircraft. The fusion framework is evaluated using data from an acoustic sensor and collocated ADS-B receiver in the middle of a large urban area at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas. Our results demonstrate the benefit of combining multiple types of data to generate a labeled dataset leveraging open-source aircraft surveillance data. By studying three classes of aircraft, we find that the smaller fixed wing single engine (FWSE) class is mostly detected within approximately 5000 m, while the larger fixed wing multi-engine (FWME) class is commonly detected out to greater distances above 7500 m. The FWSE class has a median source frequency at 100 Hz, compared to FWME class with median source frequency at 80 Hz, while rotorcraft has a source frequency falling into a lower range of 30-100 Hz., (© 2023 Acoustical Society of America.)

Physical and deployment factors that influence infrasound signal detection and assess automatic detection performance for a regional infrasound network of arrays in the Western U.S. are explored using signatures of ground truth (GT) explosions (yields). Despite these repeated known sources, published infrasound event bulletins contain few GT events. Arrays are primarily distributed toward the south-southeast and south-southwest at distances between 84 and 458 km of the source with one array offering azimuthal resolution toward the northeast. Events occurred throughout the spring, summer, and fall of 2012 with the majority occurring during the summer months. Depending upon the array, automatic detection, which utilizes the adaptive F-detector successfully, identifies between 14% and 80% of the GT events, whereas a subsequent analyst review increases successful detection to 24%-90%. Combined background noise quantification, atmospheric propagation analyses, and comparison of spectral amplitudes determine the mechanisms that contribute to missed detections across the network. This analysis provides an estimate of detector performance across the network, as well as a qualitative assessment of conditions that impact infrasound monitoring capabilities. The mechanisms that lead to missed detections at individual arrays contribute to network-level estimates of detection capabilities and provide a basis for deployment decisions for regional infrasound arrays in areas of interest.

A method for estimating the yield of explosions from shock-wave and acoustic-wave measurements is presented. The method exploits full waveforms by comparing pressure measurements against an empirical stack of prior observations using scaling laws. The approach can be applied to measurements across a wide-range of source-to-receiver distances. The method is applied to data from two explosion experiments in different regions, leading to mean relative errors in yield estimates of 0.13 using prior data from the same region, and 0.2 when applied to a new region.

Infrasound from a four-stage sounding rocket was recorded by several arrays within 100 km of the launch pad. Propagation modeling methods have been applied to the known trajectory to predict infrasonic signals at the ground in order to identify what information might be obtained from such observations. There is good agreement between modeled and observed back azimuths, and predicted arrival times for motor ignition signals match those observed. The signal due to the high-altitude stage ignition is found to be low amplitude, despite predictions of weak attenuation. This lack of signal is possibly due to inefficient aeroacoustic coupling in the rarefied upper atmosphere.

Blast waves produced by 60 high-explosive detonations were recorded at short distances (few hundreds of meters); the corresponding waveforms show charge-configuration independent coda-like features (i.e., similar shapes, amplitudes, and phases) lasting several seconds. These features are modeled as reflected and/or scattered waves by acoustic reflectors/scatters surrounding the explosions. Using explosion pairs, relative coda phase delays are extracted and modeled as changes in sound speed due to changes in air temperature. Measurements from nearby weather towers are used for validation.