Reflections on Los Alamos infrasound research

Researchers at Los Alamos National Laboratory began work in infrasound research in 1982 under Department of Energy funding. This beginning was to investigate the generation and propagation of surface ground motion generated atmospheric infrasound signals. Infrasound arrays were operated to measure the infrasound signals at near regional distances. The program was successful and continued until the end of US underground nuclear testing in 1992. During this time, data were collected on earthquakes, bolides and on various man-made high explosive tests. As work on the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty was continuing, Los Alamos, working with Sandia National Laboratory, fielded a prototype infrasound array following Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty guidelines, which operated from mid 1997 to 2007. More recent work emphasizes seismo-acoustic research in explosion monitoring, improving infrasound propagation models for better source location and analysis and the development of Python based tools. In this talk, I will highlight some aspects of the earlier and current Los Alamos activity.