A Mystery Unraveled: Booming Sand Dunes

"Booming" sand dunes have intrigued travelers and scientist for centuries. These dunes emit a persistent, low-frequency sound during a slumping event or a natural avalanche on the leeward face of the dune. The sound can last for several minutes and be audible from miles away. The resulting acoustic emission is characterized by a dominant audible frequency (70 - 105 Hz) and several higher harmonics. In the work of Vriend et al. (2007), seismic refraction experiments proved the existence of a multi-layer internal structure in the dune that acts as a waveguide for the acoustic energy. Constructive interference between the reflecting waves enables the amplification and sets the frequency of each boom. A relationship was established that correctly predicts the measured frequency in terms of the thickness (~ 2.0 m) and the seismic body wave velocity of the loose, dry surficial layer (~ 240 m/s) and the substrate half-space (~ 350 m/s). The current work highlights additional measurements and simulations supporting the waveguide model for booming sand dunes. Experiments with ground penetrating radar continuously display the subsurface features which confirm the layered subsurface structure within the dune. Cross-correlation analysis shows that the booming sound propagates at speeds close to the measured body wave velocity. Squeaking sounds, which are generated during the onset of the slide and precede the sustained booming emission, have been found to have distinctly different characteristics. These short bursts of sound are emitted at a lower frequency (50 - 65 Hz) and propagate at a lower propagation speed (125 m/s) than the booming emission. The acoustic and elastic wave propagation in the dune has been simulated with a finite difference code. The interaction between the air and the ground produces a coupling wave along the surface. The reflections in the surficial layer propagate in a dispersive band at a group velocity that is slower than the phase velocity of the layer. Different source mechanisms are used in order to simulate the squeaking and booming emission within the dune. špace{.1in} {\footnotesize Vriend, N. M., M. L. Hunt, R. W. Clayton, C E. Brennen, K. S. Brantley, and A. Ruiz-Angulo (2007), Solving the mystery of booming sand dunes, Geophys. Res. Lett., 34, L16306, doi:10.1029/2007GL030276.}