Perspectives and challenges in bolide infrasound processing and interpretation: A focused review with case studies

TL;DR

This review discusses the use of infrasound sensing for bolide detection, analyzing methodologies, challenges, and case studies to improve source parameter estimation and interpretative accuracy in planetary atmospheres.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive overview and a unified framework for bolide infrasound analysis, including practical case studies and identification of key challenges and future research directions.

Findings

Infrasound effectively determines bolide source parameters.

Variability exists in signal period measurements across studies.

Systematic analysis can improve geolocation and yield accuracy.

Abstract

Infrasound sensing plays a critical role in the detection and analysis of bolides, offering passive, cost-effective global monitoring capabilities. Key objectives include determining the timing, location, and yield of these events. Achieving these goals requires a robust approach to detect, analyze, and interpret rapidly moving elevated sources such as bolides (also re-entry and space debris). In light of advancements in infrasonic methodologies, there is a need for a comprehensive overview of the characteristics that distinguish bolides from other infrasound sources, and methodologies for bolide infrasound analysis. This paper provides a focused review of key considerations and presents a unified framework to enhance infrasound processing approaches specifically tailored for bolides. Three representative case studies are presented to demonstrate the practical application of infrasound processing methodologies and deriving source parameters, while exploring challenges associated with bolide-generated infrasound. These case studies underscore the effectiveness of infrasound in determining source parameters and highlight interpretative challenges, such as variations in signal period measurements across different studies. Future research should place emphasis on improving geolocation and yield accuracy. This can be achieved through rigorous and systematic analyses of large, statistically significant samples of such events. aiming to resolve interpretative inconsistencies and explore the causes for variability in signal periods and back azimuths. The topic described here is also relevant to space exploration involving planetary bodies with atmospheres, such as Venus, Mars, and Titan.