Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve: Acoustic monitoring report, 2017
Meyer E. 2024. Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve: Acoustic monitoring report, 2017. Science Report. NPS/SR—2024/102. National Park Service. Fort Collins, Colorado. https://doi.org/10.36967/2303262
This study arose from the Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve (CRMO) Resource Stewardship Strategy (RSS), which identified the need for baseline acoustic surveys in the park. Short-term natural soundscape RSS goals were to identify the condition of the acoustic resource, and the high priority stewardship activity associated with this goal was to collect baseline acoustic data. Therefore, from June–September 2017, the Natural Sounds and Night Skies Division (NSNSD) gathered acoustical data at six sites in CRMO to provide park managers with information about the acoustical environment, sources of noise, and the natural and existing ambient sound levels within the park. On average, noise was present from 7 to 85 percent of the time across the six sites. The most common sources of noise were vehicles, aircraft, and people. The maximum percent time audible for any detailed noise source was people at site CRMO004, audible for 81% of a 24-hr period. Aircraft was most audible at site CRMO005 (15%), and vehicles were most audible at site CRMO001 (20%). Overall, existing median ambient sound levels (LA50) at sites within CRMO ranged from 17.8–31.1 dB during the day and 15.6–34.0 dB at night during the sampling period. Natural ambient sound levels (LAnat) at sites within CRMO ranged from 16.4–30.0 dB during the day and 15.1–33.0 dB at night. The median impact, defined as the difference in dB between the LA50 and LAnat, was 1.4 dB. Noise impacts ranged from 1.1 dB at CRMO006 to 8.3 dB at CRMO004, where noise was audible for 100% of the time from 07:00 to 10:00.
- Type
- Published Report
- Authors
- Meyer, Erik
- Date of Issue
- 2024-04
- Publisher
- National Park Service
- DOI
- 10.36967/2303262
- Units
- CRMO , NRSS , NSNSD
- Keywords
- Acoustic Monitoring, acoustical monitoring, baseline ambient, natural sound, sound level, Soundscape