COMSOL Acoustics Module Finite Element Modeling for Infrasound Propagation

DR. MIHAN H. MCKENNA

Remote monitoring of a suite of sources, both man-made and naturally occurring, are of interest to military and other government agencies. One such monitoring technology uses infrasound, or sub-audible acoustics, which can propagate tens to thousands of kilometers depending on source strength without losing signal character. The following discussion highlights the feasibility of methods for the modeling of infrasound propagation.

Generally classified as sound between 0.05 and 20 Hz, infrasound cannot be heard by human beings, but can be detected on specialized sub-audible microphones, which operate on the principle of a vibrating pressure field generating recordable electronic impulses. Classical infrasound monitoring focuses on source-to-receiver distances greater than 250 km, where more recent infrasound monitoring research has focused on distances closer than 150 km, bridging the distance between long-range acoustics and true infrasound monitoring.