Musical Sand Dunes

In about thirty sand dunes around the world, an avalanche of sand is accompanied by a booming sound. This video was filmed at Dumont Dunes in Death Valley, California in September 2006.
More here: http://www.newscientist.com/blog/shortsharpscience/2007/08/music-of-dunes.html

Category:

People & Blogs

Tags:

• dunes
• booming
• musical
• sand
• california
• new
• scientist
• newscientist

[rachykinz]

Fakeness.

[newscientistvideo]

Hi rachykinz and leadbellydan,

The footage isn't fake - we wouldn't ever fake something like this! :) It comes from Nathalie Maria Vriend at CalTech, and is 100% genuine. Our reporter David Cohen went out to Death Valley and heard the dunes himself. He gives a very detailed personal account of his experience in the attached article.

Michael Marshall, online editorial assistant

[DracoReincarnated]

"And here we see, the elusive sand-dwelling butt-rubbers. Usually traveling in packs, these animals respond to intrusion by creating an avalanche of sand."

[takineko]

Just like God!

[saturnianspire]

No need for toilet paper in Death Valley, lol.

[StandingRedPanda]

I can't believe it! So friction creates this sound? Amazing! Can't wait to visit some deserts :D

[notrombones]

I've been to other dunes in the desert that made the same sound.

I'm so glad it's been documented so well.

When a large volume of sand slides down, it makes a deep humming tone like an airplane going over. But there is no airplane. It's spooky, and really cool.

[Barox213]

This is what they call the "Howling of the Djinn" in middle east. I read an article about this in a science magazine, but I had never heard it. I don't remember very well but it has something to do with the silicon in the sand. Water does sounds, snow does it too and sand, this is normal. Even an avalanche of sugar would make his own sound.

[carpetmonk]

streaky poo's in ya under-roo's! gonna get rashes back there!

[CHistrue]

I got a geat sound in 2001, but in 2011 I got only a faint sound. I think that the stronger wind in 2001 must have influenced the sound!

[bloodstone1445]

And this is how the Egyptians used resonant frequency to build the pyramids.

[AllanSanches]

Hahaha, wtf that sound is scarying

[janopiano]

wow...... now...that is how you scratch your ass

[redghost105]

@rachykinz the sand is coted in a certain material that when it rubs against the other sand thats coated makes a noise...people back then before they knew about why it happend thought it was because it was haunted