Articles | Volume 13, issue 6
https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-13-1181-2025
https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-13-1181-2025
Research article
 | 
07 Nov 2025
Research article |  | 07 Nov 2025

A novel acoustic bedload monitoring system with phased microphone arrays and an accelerometer for particle localization and size estimation

Zheng Chen, Siming He, Alexandre Badoux, and Dieter Rickenmann

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Cited articles

Antoniazza, G., Dietze, M., Mancini, D., Turowski, J. M., Rickenmann, D., Nicollier, T., Boss, S., and Lane, S. N.: Anatomy of an Alpine Bedload Transport Event: A Watershed-Scale Seismic-Network Perspective, J. Geophys. Res. Earth Surface, 128, e2022JF007000, https://doi.org/10.1029/2022JF007000, 2023. 
Bakker, M., Gimbert, F., Geay, T., Misset, C., Zanker, S., and Recking, A.: Field application and validation of a seismic bedload transport model, J. Geophys. Res. Earth Surface, 125, e2019JF005416, https://doi.org/10.1029/2019JF005416, 2020. 
Barton, J. S., Slingerland, R. L., Pittman, S., and Gabrielson, T. B.: Monitoring coarse bedload transport with passive acoustic instrumentation: A field study, US Geol. Surv. Sci. Investig., Rep., 5091, 38–51, ISNB: 978-1-4113-2848-8, 2010. 
Brandstein, M. and Ward, D. (Eds.): Microphone arrays: signal processing techniques and applications, Springer Science & Business Media, ISBN: 3-540-41953-5, 2001. 
Brooks, T. F. and Humphreys, W. M.: A deconvolution approach for the mapping of acoustic sources (DAMAS) determined from phased microphone arrays, J. Sound Vib., 294, 856–879, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsv.2005.12.046, 2006. 
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Short summary
We designed a novel surrogate bedload monitoring system that integrates phased microphone arrays and an accelerometer for enhanced performance. By combining beamforming-based localization with amplitude calibration, we demonstrate a viable approach to enhance the reliability of bedload measurements. These findings address the key question of whether impact-based acoustic systems can be refined to provide more accurate particle size estimates and offer conceptual and methodological advances.
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