Whitewater Sound Dependence on Discharge and Wave Configuration at an Adjustable Wave Feature

Authors

Taylor A. Tatum, University of Alabama
Jacob F. Anderson, Boise State UniversityFollow
Timothy J. Ronan, Earthscope Consortium

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

8-2023

Abstract

Stream acoustics has been proposed as a means of monitoring discharge and wave hazards from outside the stream channel. To better understand the dependence of sound on discharge and wave characteristics, this study analyzes discharge and infrasound data from an artificial wave feature which is adjusted to accommodate daily changes in recreational use and seasonal changes in irrigation demand. Monitorable sound is only observed when discharge exceeds ∼35 m³/s, and even above that threshold the sound-discharge relationship is non-linear and inconsistent. When sound is observed, it shows consistent dependence on wave type within a given year, but the direction of this dependence varies among the 3 years studied (2016, 2021, and 2022). These findings support previous research that establishes discharge and stream morphology as relevant controls on stream acoustics and highlights the complex, combined effects of these variables.

Copyright Statement

This document was originally published in Water Resources Research by Wiley on behalf of the American Geophysical Union:

Tatum, T.A., Anderson, J.F., and Ronan, T.J. (2023). Whitewater Sound Dependence on Discharge and Wave Configuration at an Adjustable Wave Feature. Water Resources Research, 59(8), e2023WR034554. https://doi.org/10.1029/2023WR034554

Copyright restrictions may apply.

Publication Information

Tatum, Taylor A.; Anderson, Jacob F.; and Ronan, Timothy J.. (2023). "Whitewater Sound Dependence on Discharge and Wave Configuration at an Adjustable Wave Feature". Water Resources Research, 59(8), e2023WR034554. https://doi.org/10.1029/2023WR034554