The impact of COVID-19 lockdown measures on high-frequency seismic ambient noise in Greece: Utilizing strong-motion seismograph networks for human activity monitoring in urban environments
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.26443/seismica.v4i1.1347Abstract
Vibrations generated by anthropogenic activity propagate into the Earth’s subsurface as high-frequency seismic waves. The Covid-19 pandemic, which prompted widespread adoption of prevention policies in 2020, including social distancing measures, stay-at-home orders, travel restrictions and lockdowns, provided a unique opportunity to investigate on a country-scale the impact of the pandemic restriction measures on seismic data. Greece, which implemented two strict horizontal lockdowns in March and November 2020, serves as a case study for examining the effects of the two nationwide lockdown measures on high-frequency ambient seismic noise. We analyze seismic waveform data obtained exclusively from strong-motion seismic sensors deployed in urban areas across Greece. Our findings reveal a significant 43% reduction in seismic noise levels during the first lockdown and a slightly less, yet still substantial, reduction of 36% during the second lockdown. The most substantial daily reduction in seismic noise levels, exceeding 80%, occurred on Easter Sunday of 2020, during the first lockdown. The decrease in human activity during the 2020 lockdowns resulted in the most extensive and prolonged reduction in anthropogenic seismic noise ever recorded on a national scale in Greece. Our results highlight the effectiveness of strong-motion accelerograph stations in monitoring the effects of lockdown measures on seismic data. Notably, co-located acceleration and broadband sensors exhibited similar variations in high-frequency seismic noise. Furthermore, a strong correlation between high-frequency seismic noise and various categories of human mobility suggests the potential utility of accelerometers in long-term seismic monitoring of human activity.
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