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The First Detection of an Earthquake From a Balloon Using Its Acoustic Signature
- Source :
- Geophysical Research Letters
- Publication Year :
- 2021
- Publisher :
- American Geophysical Union (AGU), 2021.
-
Abstract
- Extreme temperature and pressure conditions on the surface of Venus present formidable technological challenges against performing ground‐based seismology. Efficient coupling between the Venusian atmosphere and the solid planet theoretically allows the study of seismically generated acoustic waves using balloons in the upper atmosphere, where conditions are far more clement. However, earthquake detection from a balloon has never been demonstrated. We present the first detection of an earthquake from a balloon‐borne microbarometer near Ridgecrest, CA in July 2019 and include a detailed analysis of the dependence of seismic infrasound, as measured from a balloon on earthquake source parameters, topography, and crustal and atmospheric structure. Our comprehensive analysis of seismo‐acoustic phenomenology demonstrates that seismic activity is detectable from a high‐altitude platform on Earth, and that Rayleigh wave‐induced infrasound can be used to constrain subsurface velocities, paving the way for the detection and characterization of such signals on Venus.<br />Key Points First detection of a natural earthquake using balloon‐borne infrasound dataRayleigh wave‐induced infrasound dispersion characteristics provide constraints on subsurface velocitiesShallow waveguides, focal mechanism, and subwavelength topographic changes control infrasound amplitude and dispersion by weak earthquakes
- Subjects :
- Infrasound
infrasound
Planets
Venus
Acoustic‐gravity Waves
seismology
Physics::Geophysics
Remote Sensing
Atmosphere
symbols.namesake
Planetary Sciences: Solar System Objects
Planet
Research Letter
balloon
Instruments and Techniques
Rayleigh scattering
Exploration Geophysics
biology
Microbarometer
Acoustic wave
biology.organism_classification
Geophysics
Atmospheric Processes
symbols
General Earth and Planetary Sciences
Acoustic signature
Astrophysics::Earth and Planetary Astrophysics
Geology
Seismology
Subjects
Details
- ISSN :
- 19448007 and 00948276
- Volume :
- 48
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- Geophysical Research Letters
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....6001776e929f651b55904715fc0253de