we Track noise Levels in the Community
Environmental monitoring and management are crucial for responsible airport operations. It allows the airport to understand its impact on the local environment and community and what can be done to manage and mitigate those potential impacts.
The San Francisco Bay Oakland International Airport (OAK) uses ANOMS, which stands for Airport Noise and Operations Monitoring System. It is a complex solution featuring both hardware in the form of remote sensors, and radar data collectors as well as advanced analytical tools to assist OAK in our work to manage aircraft noise in surrounding communities.
The Noise Monitoring System
The Airport Noise Monitoring and Management System (ANOMS) gathers data from remote noise monitors deployed in the local community and in proximity to runways and flight paths. These run 24 hours a day 7 days a week, continuously collecting and sending noise data through to ANOMS, creating ‘noise events’.
A ‘noise event’ is created when the system detects noise exceeding the background or local noise level for an appreciable amount of time. This could be due to any number of factors, be it local birds, cars, or an aircraft. By continuously monitoring the noise level and integrating data from Air Traffic Control (ATC), our systems can determine if the noise event was generated by an aircraft or another source.
The process is complex and while it can identify noise events due to aircraft, it can also identify events that were not generated by aircraft. These are known as community events and could be generated by birds, wind, vehicles on a road, or even emergency vehicle sirens. In effect, any noise that we could hear on a day-to-day basis that isn’t generated by an aircraft is considered community noise.
By considering the aircraft and community noise, a detailed picture of the local soundscape can be built, allowing the airport to understand the potential impact of operations on the local community.
Want to see more?
View live flight tracks and noise levels using our WebTrak Flight and Noise tracker.
