Block Island Noise Monitoring Data

Underwater sound levels near Block Island were monitored during wind turbine construction and operational phases to detect acoustic signals and sediment-borne vibrations, with the objective of collecting real-time data to improve model predictions for future offshore wind facilities.

Two monitoring phases were conducted:
1. Construction Phase Monitoring (July-October 2015)
Acoustic monitoring during pile driving operations using:
- Stationary Arrays: Fixed hydrophone stations near foundations (750 m), including SHRU (Several Hydrophone Receiving Unit) moorings with four-hydrophone vertical line arrays
- Mobile Arrays: Sensor-equipped geosleds with tetrahedral hydrophone arrays and geophone packages, plus mobile towed arrays deployed at varying depths and locations
- Drifting Hydrophones: Multi-depth acoustic recordings with seabed vibration monitoring to capture sound propagation variability

2. Operational Phase Monitoring (October-November 2017)
Long-term acoustic monitoring during wind turbine operations using:
- SHRU vertical line array moorings at multiple distances from operational turbines
- Geophone sled with tetrahedral array for seabed acoustic and particle motion measurements
- Horizontal line array (HLA) for spatial acoustic characterization

This dataset includes:
Spectrograms: Frequency-over-time visualizations of acoustic intensity from construction pile driving and operational turbine noise
Audio Recordings: Raw underwater acoustic data segmented by channels from multi-hydrophone arrays
Signal Time Metadata: Timestamps for logged acoustic events and monitoring periods
Power Spectral Density Analysis: Long-term spectral averaging data characterizing operational wind turbine acoustic signatures (4-channel, 33-day continuous monitoring)
Processed Acoustic Data: Multi-phase comparison data enabling analysis of construction versus operational acoustic environments