Dataset for Infrasound Early Warning Detections for Lahars

Infrasound may be used to detect the approach of hazardous volcanic mudflows, known as lahars, tens of minutes before they arrive at a downstream monitoring station. We have analyzed signals from more than 20 secondary lahars caused by precipitation events at Fuego Volcano during Guatemala’s rainy season in May through October of 2022. We are able to quantify the capabilities of infrasound monitoring through comparison with seismic data, time lapse video footage, and high-resolution video of an event occurring on 17 August 2022. We determine that infrasound sensors, deployed adjacent to the lahar path and in small-aperture (10s of meters) array configurations, are particularly sensitive to remote detection of lahars, including relatively small-sized events, at distances greater than 5 km. At Fuego Volcano early detection can provide timely forecasts of up to 30 minutes before lahars arrive at a monitoring site. Lahars are one of the primary hazards at volcanoes and can occur both during eruption and spontaneously without an eruption. We propose that continuous infrasound monitoring can serve as a valuable tool to minimize impacts to property and people living near volcanoes.