Initial performance analysis of an array of low-cost infrasound sensors with 43 elements

Abstract

Many infrasound sensor arrays are limited in the number of elements because of the cost of individual sensors. While some of these sensors are of exceptional quality and have calibrated (amplitude and phase) response to frequencies below 0.01 Hz, not all infrasound sensing applications require this degree of accuracy and precision. Moreover, to achieve significant reduction of the influence of wind noise at infrasound frequencies below 1 Hz requires large and/or complex mechanical wind screen apparatus. There are applications for which the benefits of having a so-called “large-N” array of lower cost, lower performance sensors outweigh the benefits of very high performance sensors. These benefits include wind noise reduction without large windscreens and the ability to resolve several acoustic sources simultaneously. This presentation will present preliminary array processing performance results from the deployment of an array of 43 recently developed, experimental low-cost infrasound sensors.