This immersive sonic experience complements the sky visualisation of the weather forecast app from Yr.no. In the sonification I directly map the hourly meteorological forecast data for 48 hours (including wind speed/direction, rainfall, temperature) to sound. I draw on a combination of synthesised sound elements and recorded sounds that are manipulated, filtered, triggered and layered in ways that are driven by the data. The blending and mixing of the sound elements evolve as the forecast evolves and recorded ambience such as birdsong, children playing gives a sense of place.

WeatherSonification

Part of my River Rumbles series, Thaw explores the influence of rapid snow melt on river dynamics through an event in Scotland in February 2021. During this sonification we pass from a cold snowy highland winter soundscape, through a warming thaw event that increases river flow, as we gradually open up into the warmth of spring.

ThawSonification

In their simplest form, geological Folds strongly resemble sine waves. In this sonification, I combine and modulate basic sound waves using different sound synthesis techniques to represent the folds, their interaction and the rich patterns and contortions this interaction can produce. The work celebrates the seminal work of structural geologist John Ramsay.

FoldSonification

Stable Sliding: Nothing and everything all at once. During stable sliding, the strength of a fault on the large scale is fairly constant but at the microscopic scale, thousands of tiny grains are interacting - rolling, grinding, jostling and breaking up.

This EP is a collaboration between Elliot Termote (sound design) and Karen Mair (geoscience and sound recording). This work was supported by the Centre for Integrated Earth Science Education (iEarth), a Norwegian Centre of Excellence (https://www.iearth.no/).

Friction EP is a sonic exploration of the frictional processes at play as geological faults (breaks in the Earth) slide past each other at depth in the Earth's crust. Microscopic processes occurring on tiny roughnesses or asperities play a huge role in determining Earthquake slip. This soundtrack is inspired by laboratory friction experiments and immersive sound design.

Stable Sliding

Stick Slip: Repetitive stick slip is a dramatic expression of unstable sliding and a model for how Earthquakes work. We hear the small scale processes associated with cycle of: gradual build up - rapid release - quiet / gradual build up - rapid release - quiet / gradual build up - rapid release - quiet.

This EP is a collaboration between Elliot Termote (sound design) and Karen Mair (geoscience and sound recording). This work was supported by the Centre for Integrated Earth Science Education (iEarth), a Norwegian Centre of Excellence (https://www.iearth.no/).

Friction is a sonic exploration of the frictional processes at play as geological faults (breaks in the Earth) slide past each other at depth in the Earth's crust. Microscopic processes occurring on tiny roughnesses or asperities play a huge role in determining Earthquake slip. This soundtrack is inspired by laboratory friction experiments and immersive sound design.

Stick Slip

Healing: Between major slip events, frictional healing occurs on faults as microscopic contacts deform and grow. These welding-like processes increase with time so the longer a fault sits and 'waits' the stronger it becomes and the larger earthquake occurs when it finally slides. Here, two slide-hold-slide experiments simulate sliding, healing during the 'hold' and release when sliding restarts. Release is much larger after the second longer hold, where more healing and strengthening has had the chance to occur.

This EP is a collaboration between Elliot Termote (sound design) and Karen Mair (geoscience and sound recording). This work was supported by the Centre for Integrated Earth Science Education (iEarth), a Norwegian Centre of Excellence (https://www.iearth.no/).

Friction EP is a sonic exploration of the frictional processes at play as geological faults (breaks in the Earth) slide past each other at depth in the Earth's crust. Microscopic processes occurring on tiny roughnesses or asperities play a huge role in determining Earthquake slip. This soundtrack is inspired by laboratory friction experiments and immersive sound design.

Healing

Melts form when faults slip rapidly, generating enough frictional heating that their walls melt and solid rock turns to a thick liquid. Rock fracture, flash melting at tiny protrusions, injection of melt into side fractures and dissolving of rock fragments occur along the way. Initially this lubricates the fault, dramatically reducing friction and allowing slip to progress more easily. However, as the melt cools it solidifies acting as a brake to slow or stop sliding. Pseudotachylytes (cooled frictional melts) are thought to be the geological signature of ancient earthquakes.

This EP is a collaboration between Elliot Termote (sound design) and Karen Mair (geoscience and sound recording). This work was supported by the Centre for Integrated Earth Science Education (iEarth), a Norwegian Centre of Excellence (https://www.iearth.no/).

Friction EP is a sonic exploration of the frictional processes at play as geological faults (breaks in the Earth) slide past each other at depth in the Earth's crust. Microscopic processes occurring on tiny roughnesses or asperities play a huge role in determining Earthquake slip. This soundtrack is inspired by laboratory friction experiments and immersive sound design.

Melting

Awakening is the outcome of an exciting collaboration between composer and pianist Mhairi Hall  (http://www.mhairihall.com/) and sound designer Karen Mair (https://www.karenmair.org/) exploring the dialogue between human and non-human household sounds as we start our day.

Hidden indoor sounds, reflecting our energy, water, internet and coffee consumption are woven together with Hall's beautiful playing to reveal our more-than-human morning routine.

More information here (https://www.karenmair.org/awakening).

This work was supported through the Scottish Research Alliance for Energy, Homes and Livelihoods seed fund scheme and the Scottish Funding Council grant H23049.

karen mair

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