Milestone for NewFoS Project 3: One Year of Seismic Data in Alaska’s Old-Growth Forests

On June 24, 2025, the New Frontiers of Sound (NewFoS) community celebrated a major milestone: one full year of continuous seismic data collection in Alaska’s interior old-growth forests.

Over three intense, mosquito-filled days, Elizabeth Whitney (PhD student, University of Alaska Fairbanks) and Bingxu Lou (Postdoctoral Researcher, University of Arizona) retrieved data from 37 seismic stations deployed in 2024 as part of Integrative Project 3 – Topological Acoustic (TA) Sensing of the Natural Environment (Project Leads: James Beck and Massimo Ruzzene).

The dataset promises groundbreaking insights into how fragile ecosystems respond to climate change—from permafrost thawing to shifts in plant species composition.

NewFoS is advancing beyond the limits of conventional remote-sensing technologies by developing TA geometric phase–based sensing modalities. These methods enable remote, high-sensitivity, direct, and continuous monitoring of climate-threatened forested regions, with applications ranging from permafrost monitoring in the boreal forest to soil dryness detection for wildfire prevention in the U.S.

“This milestone marks not just a year of data, but the foundation for transformative insights into how our environment is changing in real time,” said Project Lead Dr. Massimo Ruzzene.

Special recognition goes to the field team — Elizabeth Whitney, Bingxu Lou, and Falk Huettmann — whose dedication made this achievement possible.