Trends in low-frequency underwater noise off the Oregon coast and impacts of COVID-19 pandemic.
J Acoust Soc Am
; 149(6): 4073, 2021 06.
Article
in English
| MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-1276872
ABSTRACT
Approximately six years of underwater noise data recorded from the Regional Cabled Array network are examined to study long-term trends. The data originate from station HYS14 located 87 km offshore of Newport, OR. The results indicate that the third-octave band level centered at 63 Hz and attributable to shipping activity is reduced in the spring of 2020 by about 1.6 dB relative to the mean of the prior five years, owing to the reduced economic activity initiated by the COVID-19 pandemic. The results are subtle, as the noise reduction is less than the typical seasonal fluctuation associated with warming ocean surface temperatures in the summer that reduces mode excitation support at typical ship source depths, causing a repeated annual level change on the order of 4 dB at shipping frequencies. Seasonality of the noise contribution near 20 Hz from fin whales is also discussed. Corroboration of a COVID-19 effect on shipping noise is offered by an analysis of automatic identification system shipping data and shipping container activity for Puget Sound, over the same six-year period, which shows a reduction in the second quarter of 2020 by â¼19% and â¼17%, respectively, relative to the mean of the prior five years.
Full text:
Available
Collection:
International databases
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Acoustics
/
COVID-19
Type of study:
Experimental Studies
Limits:
Humans
Country/Region as subject:
North America
Language:
English
Journal:
J Acoust Soc Am
Year:
2021
Document Type:
Article
Affiliation country:
10.0005192
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