Linking seismic and audible city noise during lockdown in Brussels, Belgium

Abstract:

Lockdown measures in Brussels (Belgium) resulted in a dramatic 33% drop in seismic noise measured at the reference UCC station in Uccle. In our recent publication (Lecocq et al 2020), we showed the good match between the seismic and audible noise relative changes before and during lockdown. The audible sensors used in the study were the permanent microphones from the Brussels monitoring network. To properly decipher the link between the audible and seismic vibrations recorded, we installed a microphone in the ROB park in Uccle, together with a seismic array composed by 24 3-component geophones. Using these co-located equipment, we are able to compare single events (planes, cars, trains) and long-term trends.