Posted on 09/30/2004 5:36:10 PM PDT by jerod
LONDON - The Earth's silent hum is created by interactions between the atmosphere, ocean and sea floor, researchers say.
Planet Earth produces a deep, low frequency rumble far below the limit of human hearing.
A low-frequency hum emanates from the Earth. The noise, between two and seven millihertz, is likely caused by the release of energy near the planet's surface.
Scientists were puzzled, though, because the hum has been recorded even when no earthquakes are happening – the most likely source of the energy.
To find the source of the hum, researchers at the University of California at Berkeley collected measurements from seismometers in California, Europe and Japan.
Barbara Romanowicz and colleague Junkee Rhie determined the hum originates mainly in northern winters, and the South Atlantic during southern winters.
"We conclude that the Earth's hum is generated by the interaction between atmosphere, ocean and sea floor," the pair wrote in Thursday's issue of the journal Nature.
They theorize storm energy may be converted to seafloor vibrations, causing the hum.
Hmmmm.
CBS story. Is there a reliable source for this?
I used to know Milli Hertz. Quite a gal. She hummed too.
John Kerry thinks?!?!?!?!
I would assume a ball in space spinning at 1000 miles an hour would make some hum or whoosh type noise. But that's just me and I'm not trying to justify spending alumni and government grant money to prove anything.
John Kerry thinks?!?!?!?!
I would assume a ball in space spinning at 1000 miles an hour would make some hum or whoosh type noise. But that's just me and I'm not trying to justify spending alumni and government grant money to prove anything.
.
Flippin Hilarious!
I couldn't resist...
;-)
I thought it was caused by Al Gore spouting off like Mt. St. Helens.
Just how can a hum be silent. I thought the word hum described a noise (which can't be silent) or a smell.
By the way, has anybody tried HUMMER, the scent?
CBS story. Is there a reliable source for this?
Mark: Here is a link to an article on this subject by real live scientists; not seeBS.
http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/planetearth/space_symphony_000323.html
CBS story. Is there a reliable source for this?
Mark: Here is a link to an article on this subject by real live scientists; not seeBS.
http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/planetearth/space_symphony_000323.html
It's from the CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation) not CBS.
Taos, New Mexico. Home of the hum.
I hum can be silent to humans, since it's far below the frequency we can hear. Just like you can have visible light and invisible light, you can have audible sound and inaudible sound.
It's a hum only by extrapolation. 2-7 millihertz is 7-25 cycles per HOUR. "Hum" is pretty misleading, but scientists like colorful terminology. If you were to take the amplitude data and run a speeded up graphic, you might say, "Oh look, the earth is humming!"
I don't buy seafloor vibrations. The seafloor is covered with sediments.. probably hundreds of meters of it. And those sediments would have a tremendous damping effect.
Also, we see weather... up here. would bet in most cases, if the weather had any effect at all on the sea, it would never reach more than a half mile down.
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