This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II research project aims to produce a working prototype sensor array monitoring system that detects, identifies, and localizes the infrasound generated by snow avalanches. The goal of the project is to bring to commercial form automated monitoring systems that improve the safety and welfare of those impacted by avalanche activity. Avalanche-generated infrasound signals can propagate miles from their origin, and provide a basis for automated monitoring and warning systems. Previously developed single sensor infrasound monitoring systems can detect and identify avalanche-generated infrasound in an automated near real-time manner, but performance suffers when avalanche signal amplitudes are small and/or during high wind noise periods. By advancing and refining array-based signal processing algorithms, sensor array monitoring can provide spatial information that greatly improves avalanche signal identification in varying signal and noise conditions while also providing the geographic location of the avalanche signal origin.
Identification of avalanche occurrences will improve safety in avalanche prone terrain and minimize direct and indirect costs associated with avalanche activity. Automated notification of unexpected avalanche activity will provide a prompt for early response activities. Knowledge garnered through this project will advance the field of applied infrasonic sensor array monitoring, an infant science. Innovative hardware and software components that are designed and proven will be available for other infrasound monitoring applications such as tornadoes, volcanoes, flash floods, ocean storms, calving glaciers, aura borealis, ridgeline winds, explosions, and aircraft.
