Insolation cycles control the timing and pattern of resonance frequency drifts at a natural rock tower, Utah, USA

Resonance frequency monitoring can detect structural changes during progressive rock slope failure; however, reversible environmentally driven frequency drifts may inhibit identification of permanent changes. Frequency drifts are commonly correlated with air temperature, lagging temperature changes by zero to 35–60 days. Here we report observations from two years of monitoring at a rock tower in Utah, USA where annual resonance frequency changes appear to precede air temperature cycles by approximately 35 days. Using correlations with meteorological data supplemented by numerical modeling, we identify changes in insolation as the primary driver of annual frequency drifts, giving rise to the observed negative lag time. Sparse in-situ insolation data show that the daily resonance frequency increase lags sunrise by several hours, while frequencies decrease at sunset, responses we attribute to the west facing aspect of the tower. Modeled daily insolation corresponds with frequency data for months when measurements are not available. Numerical models offer the advantage of predicting insolation patterns for different aspects of the rock tower, such as the west facing cliff where measurements would be challenging. Our study highlights the value of long-term datasets in identifying mechanisms driving environmentally associated frequency drifts, understanding that is crucial to facilitate detection of permanent changes during progressive failure.