Spatial and temporal variation of the ambient noise environment of the Sikkim Himalaya

Abstract

Ambient noise characteristics are perused to assess the station performance of 27 newly constructed broadband seismic stations across Sikkim Himalaya and adjoining Himalayan foreland basin, installed to study the seismogenesis and subsurface structure of the region. Power spectral densities obtained at each station, compared against the global noise limits, reveal that observed vertical component noise levels are within the defined global limits. However, the horizontal components marginally overshoot the limits due to the tilt effect. Ambient noise conditions significantly vary with different installation techniques, analysis revealing that seismic sensors buried directly in the ground have reduced long-period noise in comparison to pier installations. Tectonic settings and anthropogenic activities are also noted to cause a significant rise across short-period and microseism noise spectrum, varying spatially and temporally across the region. Day-time records higher cultural noise than night-time, while the microseism noise dominates during the monsoonal season. An assessment of the effect of the nationwide lockdown imposed due to COVID-19 pandemic revealed a significant decrease in the short-period noise levels at stations installed across the foreland basin marked with higher anthropogenic activity. Our study summarizes the overall ambient noise patterns, validating the stability and performance of the seismic stations across the Sikkim Himalayas.