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Sonifying Seismic Data on the Go, for Research and STEM Engagement

Description: 

Seismic waveforms are perfect candidates for data sonification as they merely need to be squeezed in time. Most existing applications of seismogram sonification adjust the output volume to the maximum amplitude of the input waveform, which is helpful in cases where a waveform’s characteristics matter more than its amplitude. The smart phone app “Earthtunes” allows users to fix the volume setting, so the waveform’s output volume is proportional to signal power on an absolute scale, which allows users to compare signal strength across time and space. This sonification algorithm was used in a research project, called Earthquake Detective, where volunteers (“citizen scientists”) helped researchers classify high-frequency seismic signals coincident with low-frequency surface waves into one of four categories, including dynamically triggered earthquakes and tremor. This helped researchers comb through vast amounts of data in ways machine learning algorithms were not ready for. The infrastructure of this highly accessible and mobile Zooniverse project is available to any seismologist needing this kind of help in data analysis or monitoring. While Earthtunes also helps researchers with data exploration, especially when in the field or otherwise on the go, it is an excellent engagement tool as well. The ability to listen to seismic events in near real-time fosters a deeper appreciation for our planet. Listening to earthquakes and other events as they happen enhances users’ awareness of geological activity and its impact on the world around them. Pre-programmed Earthtunes challenges include sonified earthquake signals, close and far away, induced and tectonic, as well as sonified seismic noise on an island, Antarctica, planet Mars, pre- and during a COVID-19 lockdown, and on quiet and stormy days. Sonified swarms of earthquakes in the Reykjanes peninsula were shared widely when volcanic fissures opened there late in 2023.

Session: Visualization and Sonification in Solid Earth Geosciences, What’s Next? - I

Type: Oral

Date: 4/17/2025

Presentation Time: 11:15 AM (local time)

Presenting Author: Suzan

Student Presenter: No

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