Abstract To better understand characteristics of seismic signals of tracked vehicles measured when passing a sensor line, we numerically modelled force-pulse responses of a layered soil that is similar in its seismic properties to that found at the original measurement site. The vertical-force pulses from the road wheels rolling over the track elements are fitted to the measured ones. Single-pulse seismic waves vary with distance due to different wave types, reflections at layer boundaries, vehicle velocity and relative position of the left and right track elements. They are computed by a modelling program and superposed at sensor positions with the appropriate slant distance and time shift for each track element. These sum signals are in qualitative agreement with those from the original measurements. However, they are several magnitudes weaker and much smoother. Furthermore, higher frequencies are damped much less at larger distances. Due to the large variability of the sum signals, recognition of trackedvehicle types exclusively through their seismic signals seems difficult.
About author: Mathias Pilch has earned a B.Sc. in Physics in 2015 at TU Dortmund University, Germany, with work on computer simulations on the fitness of species developing under different theories on evolution. In January 2018 he has finished his M.Sc. thesis about numerical modelling of seismic tracked-vehicle signals for co-operative verification.
Jürgen Altmann, PhD, is a physicist and peace researcher at TU Dortmund University,Germany. Since 1985 he has studied scientific - technical roblems of disarmament. An experimental focus is automatic sensor systems for cooperative verification of disarmament and peace agreements and for IAEA safeguards for an underground fi nal repository. Another focus is assessment of new military technologies and preventive arms control.
Cite this article:
. Seismic modelling of tracked-vehicle signals for monitoring and verification[J]. APPLIED GEOPHYSICS, 2021, 18(2): 253-264.
2021, Vol. 18 
