The use of a low-cost, small-aperture array as an auxiliary tool to improve infrasound monitoring in the Azores region

Abstract

The 2022’s seismo-volcanic crisis on São Jorge Island of the Azores archipelago has provided an opportunity to deploy a portable infrasound array as a collaborative work between the Research Institute for Volcanology and Risk Assessment (IVAR) of the University of the Azores (UAc) and the University of Florence (UniFI). The four-element array, SJ1, became operational on 2 April 2022. Despite being deployed in a first stage to monitor the activities related to the volcanic unrest on São Jorge Island, SJ1 worked as a supporting tool to the existing IMS infrasound station IS42, located on Graciosa Island at ~ 40 km distance, leading to an enhancement of the infrasonic monitoring network in the region. This work emphasises the importance of low-cost portable infrasound arrays to improve the coverage of infrasound observations for local and regional monitoring purposes in the Azores region. Two events recorded by both arrays are briefly exemplified: a low-magnitude earthquake on São Jorge Island and a fireball which crossed the North Atlantic Ocean. Infrasound data from both arrays are combined to obtain a fast but still accurate source localization of the analysed events.