Naked Science Forum

Life Sciences => The Environment => Topic started by: Atomic-S on 01/04/2017 02:10:37

Title: Is infrasound used meteorologically?
Post by: Atomic-S on 01/04/2017 02:10:37

It occurred to me that infrasound may provide a way to monitor storms and provide early warning of tornadoes and the like. I wonder if this is currently done.

Title: Re: Is infrasound used meteorologically?
Post by: evan_au on 01/04/2017 12:01:20

One problem with infrasound is that it travels at the speed of sound. You get more warning if you can detect events at the speed of light.

• You could detect thunder via infrasound - but lightning produces a burst of electromagnetic radiation that is used to triangulate and count lightning strikes (http://www.netweather.tv/index.cgi?action=lightning;sess=#dc1).
• It would be harder to detect tornadoes by ultrasound - but they can be spotted fairly well by photos from weather satellites.
• You could detect volcanic explosions and earthquakes by infrasound - but earthquake waves travel more rapidly through rock than through air.
• One of the worlds largest infrasound networks is to monitor compliance with the Comprehensive (nuclear) Test Ban Treaty, and this detects volcanoes and meteorites, as well as rocket launches, aeroplanes and chemical explosions.

See: https://www.ctbto.org/verification-regime/monitoring-technologies-how-they-work/infrasound-monitoring/

Title: Re: Is infrasound used meteorologically?
Post by: Atomic-S on 09/05/2017 05:04:26

Very interesting.

Title: Re: Is infrasound used meteorologically?
Post by: chris on 09/05/2017 07:44:03

Sound also dissipates / attenuates with distance, which would limit the benefit of such an approach.