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Singing sand dunes
A desert mystery has been solved. It is well-known that sand dunes make a noise but the dynamics that create this sound had so far been unexplained.
"Singing dunes are one of the most puzzling and impressive natural phenomena I have ever encountered," says Andreotti. "The sounds produced can be heard up to 10 kilometres away and resemble a drum or a low-flying jet." The sounds can be as loud as 105 decibels and have frequencies between about 95 and 105 Hertz.
Physicist Andreotti was able to show that it is a result of vibrations induced by the avalanche of sand grains crashing into each other.
You can listen to the sound of the dunes as picked up by the microphone in the photo are the right.
Posted by Dan Brooks on December 15, 2004 at 06:53 PM | Permalink
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» Song of Sand from Song of Time - שיר הזמן
A song of sand, as in, actual sand singing.
"Singing dunes are one of the most puzzling and impressive natural phenomena I have ever encountered," says Andreotti. "The sounds produced can be heard up to 10 kilometres away and resemble a drum or a lo... [Read More]
Tracked on Jul 23, 2005 5:35:28 AM
