Registration of avalanches in the Khibiny Mountains by the geophysical methods

TLDR: In this article, the authors conducted experiments on the joint registration of avalanches in the Khibiny mountain range using seismic and infrasonic sensors during work on the forced descent of the snow mass.

Abstract: In the winter months of 2018-2020 the Kola Branch of the Unified Geophysical Service RAS conducted experiments on the joint registration of avalanches in the Khibiny mountain range using seismic and infrasonic sensors during work on the forced descent of the snow mass. The aim of the experiments is to assess the possibility of avalanche detection using the geophysical methods. The lack of representative statistics on the frequency and regularity of avalanches is the reason for the relevance of developing methods of their remote registration. The difficulty of registering avalanches is due to their occurrence often in hard-to-reach areas and in poor visibility conditions. To record signals generated by avalanches, different configurations of infrasound panels consisting of three spatially separated sensors (MPA 201 or Hyperion IFS-4000 microbarographs) and a portable seismic station Guralp CMG-6TD were used. As a result of the experiments, infrasound recordings were obtained at different distances from the avalanche source. The infrasound group recordings collected from the experiments were processed using an automatic detector implementing amplitude and cross-correlation signal detection methods. The spectral composition of the recordings and their characteristic appearance were analyzed. Avalanche-induced signals are characterized by long duration and changes in azimuth to the source. The dominant frequencies of the signal lie in the region of 1-10 Hz. Conclusions are made about the insufficient sensitivity of the seismic method when the seismometer is located at a distance of the first kilometers from the avalanche source, as well as the high applicability of the infrasound method for recording the facts of avalanches. The results obtained will make it possible to develop a methodology for automatic detection of signals generated by avalanches using the data of infrasound registration. This is the necessary basis for building a system for continuous monitoring of avalanche activity.