Earth's Eerie Hum Is Finally Explained!

Did you know that our lovely little planet creates an eerie hum? Don't fret if you didn't: Our human ears can't detect it. But the hum, discovered in the late 1990s, is discernable to seismic instruments.

Now, a new French study—published in February, but currently circling the Internet—thinks it has an answer about why the ringing sound exists. And it's maddeningly simple: ocean waves.

When waves crash into each other, as it turns out, they create a humming noise. Interestingly, slower-moving waves create longer sounds; while a quick wave's hum lasts only around 13 seconds, slower waves can produce a hum that lasts between 13 and 300 seconds.

This new discovery provides scientists with more insight into the ever-mysterious inner-workings of Earth. Already, we know that waves extend down to the seafloor; studying them can help us learn more about these large, yet unexplored (for obvious reasons) elements of our planet.

Science: cool, no?

 

 

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