SEISMIC DETECTION OF EXTREME WEATHER EVENTS IN 2023 ON THE SLOVENIAN NATIONAL SEISMIC NETWORK

Abstract

Seismic stations are not only suitable for detecting earthquakes, but can also detect other natural phenomena. When these phenomena leave their „seismic footprint“ on the records of ground motion, this enables us to analyse the phenomenon seismically and, consequently, to reveal its dynamics. This also applies to the extraordinary we­ather events we recorded in Slovenia in 2023. We investigated what kind of seismic imprint various extreme weather events leave on the seismic records of the Slovenian National Seismic Network. Rain is not detected; although rain does leave a seismic imprint, it is located at higher frequencies than are covered by the measurement range of the seismometer. Strong ground wind in the immediate vicinity of the seismometer significantly contributes to an incre­ase in seismic noise both in the low-frequency part of the spectrum, where it is detected mainly on the horizontal components of the seismometer, and also in the high-frequency part of the spectrum, where the impact is recorded spatially. Rivers also leave a seismic footprint, which is recorded if river flows are significantly increased and if the seismic observatory is close enough to the river.