Suddenness of displacement, not speed, determines whether a boom is audible
Evidence
The explanation, at least in Moodus, turns out to be micro-earthquakes from a shallow fault. The little quakes are usually too small to be felt, and may seem an unlikely source of loud booms. A website devoted to the Guns of Barisol, India, on the northern shore of the Bay of Bengal, another place of bewildering sonic booms, tries to inoculate us against the microquake explanation: “You may read … that the Guns of Barisal are supposed to be caused by earth movements too feeble to be felt. Earthquakes can make noises, but not when no movements are felt.” This statement is false. — Eric J. Heller, Why You Hear What You Hear- An…, 690 (
#exemplifies, via linked claim)
Categorization
- XREF: connects to: Widespread sonic booms need not originate from supersonic sources; Micro-earthquakes far too small to feel can produce loud audible booms — Eric J. Heller, Why You Hear What You Hear- An…, 690; Boom-producing surface motion involves extreme acceleration but modest velocity (+1 more)
Related
- Widespread sonic booms need not originate from supersonic sources (similarity 0.96)
- Micro-earthquakes far too small to feel can produce loud audible booms (similarity 0.91)
- Sudden surface motion is required to produce an audible pop or boom. (similarity 0.85)
- Properly timed small impulses can drive a massive system to immense momentum (similarity 0.82)
- Boom-producing surface motion involves extreme acceleration but modest velocity (similarity 0.79)
- Negative-magnitude microquakes generate audible surface pops (similarity 0.79)
- Loud bangs require surface accelerations exceeding one hundred times gravity. (similarity 0.79)
Broader Connections
- Boom-producing surface motion involves extreme acceleration but modest velocity
#expands(0.90) - Micro-earthquakes far too small to feel can produce loud audible booms
#exemplifies(0.85) — Eric J. Heller, Why You Hear What You Hear- An…, 690