Scientists have recorded some inexplicable sounds in Earth's stratosphere.
studio023/Getty Images/iStockphotoScientists are picking up on some strange sounds in the second layer of our atmosphere that they haven't heard anywhere else. The stratosphere is a relatively calm layer of Earth's atmosphere, rarely disturbed by planes or turbulence. Because of this, microphones can detect natural sounds from colliding ocean waves and thunder, and human-created sounds like wind turbines and explosions.
However, a team of researchers, led by Daniel Bowman of Sandia National Laboratories in New Mexico, recently discovered some eerie sounds that repeat a few times per hour in the stratosphere. The sounds were recorded in the infrasound range, meaning they are inaudible to the human ear. "There are mysterious infrasound signals that occur a few times per hour on some flights, but the source of these is completely unknown," Bowman said in a statement.
The findings were shared by Bowman on Thursday at the 184th Meeting of the Acoustical Society of America in Chicago. One such recording from a NASA balloon that circled Antarctica (obtained by CNN) contained infrasound of colliding ocean waves. However, there were also crackles and rustlings heard in the recording that have unknown origins.
Between 2016 and April, Bowman and his fellow researchers collected data using several dozen solar-powered hot air balloons that measure more than 20 feet across and are fitted with microbarometers—initially designed to monitor volcanoes—capable of detecting low-frequency sounds. They tracked their routes using GPS sensors. The relatively inexpensive balloons, made from common materials, can soar around 70,000 feet over Earth.
"Our balloons are basically giant plastic bags with some charcoal dust on the inside to make them dark," Bowman said. "We build them using painter's plastic from the hardware store, shipping tape, and charcoal powder from pyrotechnic supply stores, When the sun shines on the dark balloons, the air inside heats up and becomes buoyant."
Bowman plans to continue investigating the collected data to determine the source behind the mysterious noises. The hope is that one day the solar-powered balloons could also be used for more complex missions, like exploring Venus' seismic and volcanic activity through its thick atmosphere.
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Scientists record eerie sound in Earth's atmosphere they can't explain - Chron
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