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Using Nodal Arrays for Fluvial Seismology Applications: Tracking Flow Fronts, Rockfalls and Bedload Transport

Description: 

Seismic instrumentation along river systems have produced useful observations of a variety of fluvial processes, including signals from water turbulence and bedload transport, although many early studies focused on data from one or a few seismic stations. More recent efforts in fluvial seismology have deployed many more stations in various array geometries to better characterize the fluvial signals. Here we describe multi-year seismic nodal array deployments in the Arroyo de los Pinos ephemeral tributary of the Rio Grande in central New Mexico, USA used to characterize signals associated with monsoonal flash floods and resulting bedload transport. Over the five years of deployment, we have placed nearly 250 nodes (average ~50 per summer season) along the channel banks, where they have recorded signals from over 18 floods ranging in flow depths of few cm to ~1.4 m. These nodal arrays also captured signals associated with channel bank collapse and rockfalls during high flows; in some cases the nodes were involved in the bank collapse. In addition, we describe flood signals recorded on a seismic node buried within the channel itself, providing unique observations of flow and transport signals directly below the active flow, suggesting much higher frequency energy than recorded at nodes several meters away on the channel banks. We also discuss deployment strategies to reduce effects of other local noise sources on the fluvial signals of interest.

Session: Innovative Applications of Seismic Nodal Technology for Hazard Mitigation and Earth System Monitoring [Poster]

Type: Poster

Date: 4/15/2025

Presentation Time: 08:00 AM (local time)

Presenting Author: Susan

Student Presenter: No

Invited Presentation: 

Poster Number: 9

Authors