Language
Country/Area
No result found
From ocean waves to cities: How does seismic noise affect our daily lives?
Seismic noise, in geophysics, geology, civil engineering, and related fields, refers to persistent ground vibrations arising from a variety of causes that are often unexplained or unwanted components of the signal. This noise comes from many sources, including human activities, atmospheric phenomena, rivers and ocean waves. In our daily lives, these seismic noises not only affect the stability of the environment and buildings, but may also affect our quality of life.
Seismic noise is a vital element in any discipline that relies on seismology, affecting earthquake monitoring, oil and gas exploration, and structural health monitoring, among many others.
Sources and characteristics of seismic noise
Seismic noise has many sources, among which the low-frequency part (below 1 Hz) is mainly caused by natural factors, especially the impact of ocean waves. At higher frequencies (above 1 Hz), seismic noise mainly comes from human activities, such as transportation and industrial work. Therefore, we are often exposed to the noise caused by urban life in our daily lives, whether in the city where we live or when we travel.
These seismic noises are typically most pronounced in the frequency range of 0.1 to 0.3 Hz and are global phenomena, showing frequency interactions with ocean waves.
Effects of seismic noise on structures and environment
The presence of seismic noise has obvious effects on buildings and other infrastructure. In fact, these noises can be used to evaluate the low-strain and time-varying dynamic properties of civil engineering structures. From bridges to buildings to dams, analysis of seismic noise provides valuable information about how these structures behave during earthquakes or other significant events.
Technology using seismic noise has achieved remarkable results in structural health monitoring, allowing better consideration of these factors in design and improving the safety of buildings.
How scientific research benefits from seismic noise
In scientific studies of geology and geophysics, the recording of seismic noise became widely developed in the 1950s with the intensification of monitoring nuclear testing. Various methods proposed by Japanese seismologists, such as the application of spatial autocorrelation (SPAC) and frequency-wavenumber (FK), have enabled scientists to better utilize these noises for research and analysis.
Even during the COVID-19 pandemic, the reduction in human activities has led to a significant decrease in seismic noise, which not only provides a new perspective for earthquake monitoring but also becomes an indirect indicator of economic development.
ConclusionThe diversity and usefulness of seismic noise plays an important role in daily life and various scientific fields, from structural safety to environmental monitoring. Looking ahead, how can we better understand and utilize these natural and man-made shocks?
