This Haiti Earthquake composition is created by Ryan McGee in collaboration with D.V. Rogers using seismic recordings of the 12th January, 2010 Mw7.0 Haiti event based of waveform data recordings from the closest 12 stations. The data used in making this composition was collected from IRIS Wilbur.

The piece begins with the granulated impacts from each station played in sucession from the furthest to closest station from the quake.  We also hear a brief recording of noise from each station during the granulations. Since each station has its own distinct sound, these noises act as signatures for each station as we move closer to the quake. A slow
melody plays in the background with a tone for each station- generated by filtering out all but the most prominent frequency from the spectra of each noise signature.  

We also hear a rhythmic sound generated from the impact of each station played back at high-speed in succession again from farthest to nearest.  As this rhythm gradually increases in intensity we start to hear a lower noise grow in the background, which is a time stretched recording of the impact played in reverse to further emphasize the backwards build-up of the piece.

At the climax we hear the impact from the closest station followed by the impacts from the other stations- this time increasing in distance. In the background we hear the low growl of the time-stretched recording fade away. The granulated sounds are chaotic after the main event, for they now emphasize and repeat fluctuations in the recordings rather than grains of equal size.

ref: https://is.gd/z3rSeq

Haiti Earthquake Mw7.0 12th January *02010 - Ryan McGee

"Philosophical and psychological research results show that there is a substantial difference between seeing and hearing a data set, because both evolve and accentuate different aspects of a phenomenon. From a philosophical point of view the eye is good for recognizing structure, surface and steadiness, whereas the ear is good for recognizing time, continuum, remembrance and expectation. In studying aspects like tectonic structure, surface deformation and regional seismic risk the visual modes of depiction are hard to surpass. But in questions of timely development, of characterization of a fault's continuum and of tension between past and expected events the acoustic mode of representation seems to be very suitable." - Florian Dombois

http://www.auditory-seismology.org

http://www.icad.org/icad2016/proceedings2/posters/ICAD2016_paper_21.pdf

Haiti Earthquake Mw7.0 12th January *02010 - Ryan McGee

SeismicSounds

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