Change works slowly but constantly in geology. When we look at a striated canyon wall in the desert, we can see the multicolored strata clearly defined. Each layer of minerals and sediment is a period of time compressed and reformed throughout epochs.

In Yellowstone National Park, the geologic history of the land is less visible, but no less present. Lava flow underground shapes and reshapes the plates above. Seismometers constantly stream out recordings of vibrations in the ground in the form of waves that narrow with stillness and bulge with activity. The vibrations are too slow to hear or feel, but they still shake our bodies imperceptibly.

John O’Donohue, an Irish philosopher, believes that beauty in a landscape is much more than the physical forms of the land. It is the elemental rhythm of the place. What if park visitors could come into rhythm with the elemental in Yellowstone?

Eco-theologists argue that human spiritual worldviews affect how we interact with and learn about nature. For the last century, mentions of “the sublime” and “religion” in literature about Yellowstone have been declining. By sonifying seismic data of specific locations in Yellowstone, the Inframent creates a sonic landscape that invites visitors to feel the sublime of Yellowstone. Just as geology changes our perception of time by compressing eons of earth history into one canyon wall, sound has the potential to reform time.

Context

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Only 2% of Yellowstone visitors leave roads or boardwalks, the most heavily trafficked areas of the park. In an effort to ensure visitor safety and the health of the ecosystem, the infrastructure of roads and boardwalks perpetuate a false dichotomy between “human” and “nature”.

Within writings about Yellowstone in the past century, the frequency of the words “religion,” “sublime,” and “contemplation,” have fallen under 30%, while “beauty” remains above 90 percent. (Meyer, 1994)

Social systems exist within ecosystems and are dependent on them (Ostrom, 2009). Visitors to Yellowstone are nested within the ecosystem. However, the problem of accommodating large amounts of visitors has created a park in which visitors feel separate from the ecosystem. Spiritual experiences can help to restore the connection between visitors andthe ecosystem.

National parks are pilgrimage sites that embody the collective myths of American culture. (Ross-Bryant, 2005). Rituals take place at pilgrimage sites and are informed by myths and tradition.

The current Yellowstone rituals reinforce old myths about the park like individualism and the untouched frontier. The Inframent adds a new ritual to the park pilgrimage experience and changes myths about Yellowstone.

Data Sourcing

Seismic activity is remotely accessed within 30 minutes of the seismometer recordings. “.Seed” is the standard file type for captured movement. Seed data for the Inframent was accessed through the University of Utah seismometer network courtesy of Jamie Farrell and IRIS.gov.

Scripting

Using a Mat-Lab script, courtesy of University of Utah geologist Jeff Moore, geographic seed data is translated into text files including the time-code (1:65 ratio), geophone x-height and y-height. Infrasonic sound is stepped up to higher Hz that is audible by the human ear.

Sound Reverberation
Because of its reverberation wavelength, steel sonifies vibrations at a greater distance. (Fuchs, 2017). At a frequency of 100 Hz, The wavelength through steel completes a distance of 168ft.





Sound Decay
If played at 70 decibels, the sound will exceed outdoor background noise when visitors are within 4 meters of the Inframent.

Prostration

Visitors can kneel next to the instrument with elbows placed on the surface or lie on the surface to feel the sound, moving from an upright position to one similar to religious prostration.

Bibliography
Albuquerque Seismological Laboratory (ASL)/USGS (1990): United States National Seismic Network. International Federation of Digital Seismograph Networks. Dataset/Seismic Network. 10.7914/SN/US
Benson, C., Watson, P., Taylor, G., Cook, P., & Hollenhorst, S. (2013). Who Visits a National Park and What do They Get Out of It?: A Joint Visitor Cluster Analysis and Travel Cost Model for Yellowstone National Park. Environmental Management, 12.
Fuchs, J. (2017). Ultrasonics - Sound - Effect of Speed of Sound on Wavelength. Retrieved from https://techblog.ctgclean.com/2011/10/ultrasonics-sound-wave-length-vs-frequency/
Heintzman, P. (2009). Nature-Based Recreation and Spirituality: A Complex Relationship. Leisure Sciences, 32(1), 72–89.
Kulesza, C., J. Gramann, Y. Le, & S. J. Hollenhorst. (2012). Yellowstone National Park Visitor Study: Summer 2011. Natural Resource Report NPS/NRSS/EQD/NRR—2012/539. National Park Service, Fort Collins, Colorado.

Marsh, P. E. (2008). Backcountry Adventure as Spiritual Development: A Means-End Study. Journal of Experiential Education, 30(3), 290–293.
Meyer, J. L. (1994). The permanence of place: the enduring spirit of Yellowstone National Park.
Mings, R. C., & Mchugh, K. E. (1992). The Spatial Configuration of Travel to Yellowstone National Park. Journal of Travel Research, 30(4), 38–46.
Ostrom, E. (2009). A General Framework for Analyzing Sustainability of Social-Ecological Systems. Science, 325(5939), 419–422.
Ross-Bryant, L. (2005). Sacred Sites: Nature and Nation in the U.S. National Parks. Religion and American Culture, 14(1), 31–62.
University of Utah (1983): Yellowstone National Park Seismograph Network. International Federation of Digital Seismograph Networks. Dataset/Seismic Network. 10.7914/SN/WY