Mysterious Force Rocks Gulf Coast

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In summary: I don't think these are caused by an earthquake. I checked. There have been no reports of seismographs picking them up. I don't think it's an earthquake because there's been no mention of seismographs picking them up. Normally when there's a quake it is triangulated straight away. Barisal Gun. Also called Mistpoeffer or Airquake:Reports go back to well before supersonic flight. There have been three or four of these here in San Diego in the past ten years or so. That link I posted is really quite good and thoroughly examines hard science for an explanation of these sounds:The absorption of sound is very small, especially in dry air. The Rayleigh-Kirch
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A mysterious force shook buildings from Pascagoula, Mississippi to Chumuckla, Florida Friday morning, but no one News 5 talked to knows exactly what caused it. Sometime between 9:00 and 9:30 am, a thunderous sound rumbled through the Gulf Coast. Not everyone felt it, but those who did all described it in much the same way...[continued]
http://www.wkrg.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=WKRG%2FMGArticle%2FKRG_BasicArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1128768768378&path=%21news%21local

Earthquake or jet I would think...
 
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  • #2
Strange, I've not been able to dig up any more news items on this. I doubt it would be an earthquake as there's been no mention of seismographs picking it up. Normally when there's a quake it is triangulated straight away.
 
  • #3
Barisal Gun. Also called Mistpoeffer or Airquake:

http://www.du.edu/~jcalvert/waves/barisal.htm

Reports go back to well before supersonic flight. There have been three or four of these here in San Diego in the past ten years or so.
 
  • #4
That link I posted is really quite good and thoroughly examines hard science for an explanation of these sounds:

The absorption of sound is very small, especially in dry air. The Rayleigh-Kirchhoff "classical" absorption due to viscosity is proportional to the square of the frequency, and depends on the ratio of the wavelength to the mean free path of the air molecules. Water vapor introduces a considerable added absorption. However, the upper atmosphere is remarkably dry, so this should have an effect only near the ground. The scattering of sound by turbulence also causes a decrease in intensity, as does the usual spreading. The principal effect of what absorption there is will be to attenuate the higher frequencies, converting a sharp crack into a boom. The initial sound wave from an explosion is usually a supersonic shock wave for a distance, and will certainly be characteristically modified during long-distance propagation.
 
  • #5
Wierd, I happened to find this report from 22/Dec and sent to a friend who hadn't heard anything at Cape Hatteras, NC. But this event was Tuesday Dec 20th in the afternoon.
Explosive booms heard across Southeastern North Carolina

(New Hanover County) -- "Thousands of people reported hearing a series of explosive "booms" all across New Hanover County and in some sections of Brunswick County late Tuesday afternoon".

wwaytv3.com/Global/story.asp?S=4271113 > now empty


"Thoughts of the nuclear power plant exploding, an earthquake or a terrorist strike are just some of the theories that were tossed around after hearing the sounds.
We spoke with a geologist to get to the bottom of it, but most of the information is pointing towards some type of military exercise. "

This was the "suspicion" of the geophysics professor at UNC-Chapel Hill (probably 200 miles inland)

The local weather service reported seeing "military activity about 30 miles off shore at about 4:00*p.m. Tuesday." A local resident reported 9 jets flying overhead.

-a series of kabooms- like an explosion-earth shaking and windows rattling, pictures shaking on walls in Wrightsville Beach.

'Booms' have been reported around Norfolk Virginia almost yearly and never been 'identified'.

Can't be 'flying saucers or triangles' cos they never make noise like this.
 
  • #6
From an older report - The Seneca Guns

The booms, heard in South Carolina and more recently in North Carolina, are popularly known as Sen-eca Guns, a folk term for unexplained booms that have been noted along the East Coast for years...
https://www.physicsforums.com/showthread.php?t=57966&highlight=Seneca
 
  • #7
curiously, no shakes reported by the 'Seneca guns'-the 'shakes' were more,or at least as much ,the 'cause' of these latest reports this past Dec .

If there's just 'shakes' then earthquake is suggested; if just 'booms'
then lightning=thunder is suggested-but together on a 'clear day'...

Wonder if shakes are ever reported along with the 'fog guns' for example?

In my life time in Norfolk the 'booms' always brought up the 'military'
(World's largest Naval Base and a number of military installations).
I've always been curious if these 'booms' had been reported since colonial times, yet the reports only mentioned 'recent memory'.

I don't remember the 'shakes' being reported-could be different events/phenomena-or the shakes could be from more intense booms?

But if i figure it out it might power my back-pack helicopter!
 
  • #8
We have these mysterious booms here in San Diego once or twice a year. The "shakes" are much like the shakes that come after a sonic boom, which I heard many, many times as a kid before they put a damper on supersonic flight: windows rattle and as does any loose structural element of the building you're in. It's definitely transmitted through the air, and not the ground. I'm quite familiar with the very different feel of a wave transmitted through the Earth from the many little quakes I've been through here. There is usually no boom from an earthquake, and when there is it is concommitant with a sudden upward jolt from below.
 
  • #9
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3173415,00.html

11.22.05

Mysterious 'Booms' Rattle Homes
Raanan Ben-Zur

quote:
An Israel Air Force officer said at the time, “this is an
unusual phenomenon in which cold and warm layers are alternately
formed in the air, and the sound waves move like a ping pong
ball between the ground and layers.
-----

Same 'stuff'-booms and shakes-no earthquakes or 'military action'-
seems to have lasted a few weeks?-unique weather conditions?

((Zooby:what's the 'history' there-first reported when?-maybe next time this happens, contact reporter and ask 'em to do a search of all the paper's files-))
 
  • #10
more 'booms and shakes'


http://tinyurl.com/ewsdr

Phenomena Produce Theories, But No Answers
Alex Roth
Union-Tribune-April 23, 2006

before 9 a.m. Tuesday, April 4, San Diego County;

Mississippi on April 7-Jackson County;

Somerset County, Maine two months ago; Alabama
three months ago; North Carolina four months ago.

quote:
"My garage door is double steel and it weighs about 500 lbs.," a
man in University City wrote. "It was rattling back and forth
like a leaf in the wind for about 3 or 4 seconds."


Wilmington, N.C.,on Dec. 20, 2005; Winston-Salem, N.C., on March 5, 2005;


As usual,no earthquake,sonic booms from planes or meteors...well-done report.
 
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FAQ: Mysterious Force Rocks Gulf Coast

What is the "Mysterious Force Rocks Gulf Coast" phenomenon?

The "Mysterious Force Rocks Gulf Coast" phenomenon refers to reports of large rocks mysteriously moving on their own along the coastline of the Gulf of Mexico. This phenomenon has puzzled scientists and locals for decades.

Where exactly is this phenomenon occurring?

Reports of the "Mysterious Force Rocks Gulf Coast" phenomenon have been recorded along the Gulf Coast in the United States, specifically in areas such as Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama.

How do these rocks move on their own?

The exact cause of the rocks' movement is still unknown. Some theories suggest that strong winds or ocean currents may be responsible, while others propose the presence of magnetic or electric fields. However, none of these explanations have been proven conclusively.

Is this phenomenon dangerous?

No, the "Mysterious Force Rocks Gulf Coast" phenomenon is not considered dangerous. The rocks are relatively small and do not pose a threat to people or property. However, visitors should always use caution when exploring the coastline.

What are scientists doing to study this phenomenon?

Scientists have been studying this phenomenon for years, collecting data and conducting experiments to try and determine the cause of the rocks' movement. They have also set up monitoring devices along the coastline to track any changes or patterns in the rocks' movements. However, the mystery of the "Mysterious Force Rocks Gulf Coast" remains unsolved.

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