Middle‐Atmosphere Dynamics Observed With a Portable Muon Detector
Abstract In the past years, large particle physics experiments have shown that muon rate variations detected in underground laboratories are sensitive to regional, middle‐atmosphere temperature variations. Potential applications include tracking short‐term atmosphere dynamics, such as Sudden Stratos...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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American Geophysical Union (AGU)
2019-10-01
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| Series: | Earth and Space Science |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1029/2019EA000655 |
| _version_ | 1819002758234112000 |
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| author | M. Tramontini M. Rosas‐Carbajal C. Nussbaum D. Gibert J. Marteau |
| author_facet | M. Tramontini M. Rosas‐Carbajal C. Nussbaum D. Gibert J. Marteau |
| author_sort | M. Tramontini |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract In the past years, large particle physics experiments have shown that muon rate variations detected in underground laboratories are sensitive to regional, middle‐atmosphere temperature variations. Potential applications include tracking short‐term atmosphere dynamics, such as Sudden Stratospheric Warmings. We report here that such sensitivity is not only limited to large surface detectors under high‐opacity conditions. We use a portable muon detector conceived for muon tomography for geophysical applications, and we study muon rate variations observed over 1 year of measurements at the Mont Terri Underground Rock Laboratory, Switzerland (opacity of ~700 meter water equivalent). We observe a direct correlation between middle‐atmosphere seasonal temperature variations and muon rate. Muon rate variations are also sensitive to the abnormal atmosphere heating in January–February 2017, associated to a Sudden Stratospheric Warming. Estimates of the effective temperature coefficient for our particular case agree with theoretical models and with those calculated from large neutrino experiments under comparable conditions. Thus, portable muon detectors may be useful to (1) study seasonal and short‐term middle‐atmosphere dynamics, especially in locations where data are lacking such as midlatitudes, and (2) improve the calibration of the effective temperature coefficient for different opacity conditions. Furthermore, we highlight the importance of assessing the impact of temperature on muon rate variations when considering geophysical applications. Depending on latitude and opacity conditions, this effect may be large enough to hide subsurface density variations due to changes in groundwater content and should therefore be removed from the time series. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-20T23:10:11Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-823456d55f5d4ec793c538371af0dd22 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2333-5084 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-20T23:10:11Z |
| publishDate | 2019-10-01 |
| publisher | American Geophysical Union (AGU) |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Earth and Space Science |
| spelling | doaj.art-823456d55f5d4ec793c538371af0dd222022-12-21T19:23:45ZengAmerican Geophysical Union (AGU)Earth and Space Science2333-50842019-10-016101865187610.1029/2019EA000655Middle‐Atmosphere Dynamics Observed With a Portable Muon DetectorM. Tramontini0M. Rosas‐Carbajal1C. Nussbaum2D. Gibert3J. Marteau4Institut de Physique Nucléaire de Lyon, UMR 5822, CNRS‐IN2P3, Université de Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1 Lyon FranceUniversité de Paris, Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris, CNRS, UMR 7154 F‐75005 Paris FranceSwiss Geological Survey at swisstopo Seftigenstrasse 264 CH‐3084 Wabern SwitzerlandUniversité de Rennes, CNRS, Géosciences Rennes, UMR 6118, F‐35000 Rennes FranceInstitut de Physique Nucléaire de Lyon, UMR 5822, CNRS‐IN2P3, Université de Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1 Lyon FranceAbstract In the past years, large particle physics experiments have shown that muon rate variations detected in underground laboratories are sensitive to regional, middle‐atmosphere temperature variations. Potential applications include tracking short‐term atmosphere dynamics, such as Sudden Stratospheric Warmings. We report here that such sensitivity is not only limited to large surface detectors under high‐opacity conditions. We use a portable muon detector conceived for muon tomography for geophysical applications, and we study muon rate variations observed over 1 year of measurements at the Mont Terri Underground Rock Laboratory, Switzerland (opacity of ~700 meter water equivalent). We observe a direct correlation between middle‐atmosphere seasonal temperature variations and muon rate. Muon rate variations are also sensitive to the abnormal atmosphere heating in January–February 2017, associated to a Sudden Stratospheric Warming. Estimates of the effective temperature coefficient for our particular case agree with theoretical models and with those calculated from large neutrino experiments under comparable conditions. Thus, portable muon detectors may be useful to (1) study seasonal and short‐term middle‐atmosphere dynamics, especially in locations where data are lacking such as midlatitudes, and (2) improve the calibration of the effective temperature coefficient for different opacity conditions. Furthermore, we highlight the importance of assessing the impact of temperature on muon rate variations when considering geophysical applications. Depending on latitude and opacity conditions, this effect may be large enough to hide subsurface density variations due to changes in groundwater content and should therefore be removed from the time series.https://doi.org/10.1029/2019EA000655muon tomographyatmosphere dynamicssudden stratospheric warming |
| spellingShingle | M. Tramontini M. Rosas‐Carbajal C. Nussbaum D. Gibert J. Marteau Middle‐Atmosphere Dynamics Observed With a Portable Muon Detector Earth and Space Science muon tomography atmosphere dynamics sudden stratospheric warming |
| title | Middle‐Atmosphere Dynamics Observed With a Portable Muon Detector |
| title_full | Middle‐Atmosphere Dynamics Observed With a Portable Muon Detector |
| title_fullStr | Middle‐Atmosphere Dynamics Observed With a Portable Muon Detector |
| title_full_unstemmed | Middle‐Atmosphere Dynamics Observed With a Portable Muon Detector |
| title_short | Middle‐Atmosphere Dynamics Observed With a Portable Muon Detector |
| title_sort | middle atmosphere dynamics observed with a portable muon detector |
| topic | muon tomography atmosphere dynamics sudden stratospheric warming |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1029/2019EA000655 |
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