Draft

Oakland Sound Pollution Mapping

Author

heather-mf

Published

February 26, 2026

Oakland Sound Pollution Mapping

Overview

Creating an animation/image series mapping approximate sound pollution levels across Oakland, California throughout a 24-hour cycle.

Data Sources

  • Road & Rail Geometries: Overpass QL API
  • Traffic Patterns: Standard traffic curves for temporal modeling
    • will start with basic Standard Diurnal Daily Curves
    • Look into []Caltrans PeMS](https://pems.dot.ca.gov/) data for more specific patterns if time allows
    • Another source for West Oakland truck traffic for the Port of Oakland: WEST OAKLAND TRUCK SURVEY REPORT

Approach

1. Data Collection

  • Query Overpass QL for Oakland road and rail network geometries
  • Categorize road segments by type (highway, arterial, residential, etc.)
  • Identify rail lines and stations, freight yards, airports, etc

2. Base Decibel Mapping

  • Assign base decibel levels to each road segment based on road type
  • Factor in rail noise sources
  • Reference standards:
    • Highway: ~70-80 dB
    • Arterial roads: ~60-70 dB
    • Residential streets: ~50-60 dB
    • Rail: ~80-90 dB (variable)

3. Temporal Multiplier

  • Apply traffic curves to model hour-by-hour variations
  • Peak hours (7-9 AM, 5-7 PM): maximum multiplier
  • Midday: moderate levels
  • Night hours (11 PM - 5 AM): minimum multiplier

4. Sound Propagation Model

Implement Inverse Square Law for line sources:

L₂ = L₁ - 10 · log₁₀(d₂/d₁)

Where:

  • L₂ = sound level at distance d₂
  • L₁ = sound level at distance d₁
  • d₂ = target distance from source
  • d₁ = reference distance from source

This calculates sound attenuation as distance increases from the road/rail source.

5. Output

  • Generate 24 static images (one per half hour)
  • Compile into animation showing sound levels throughout the day
  • Color gradient representing decibel ranges

Technical Challenges

  • Efficient spatial queries and indexing
  • Handling overlapping sound sources
  • Realistic traffic pattern modeling
  • Performance optimization for city-wide calculations

Future Enhancements

Implementation Status

🚧 Work in progress

source: src/gis/oakland_noise.clj