Over the years, many strange and wonderful sounds have been detected in the oceans that have baffled scientists. One of these noises was the mysterious slam, first heard by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in 1997. It was a strangely high, ultra-low frequency sound that blasted the South Pacific Ocean.
This sound was picked up by hydrophones (immersed microphones) and sounded like a drop of water falling into the bathroom. Scientists, who are more than 5,000 kilometers (3,100 miles) apart, were stunned by the sound.
Some people thought that the sound could be mermaids or even a very large, unknown sea monster. Of course, these could not go beyond being superstitions.
Eventually, this loud sound was found to be consistent with the wavelength created when giant icebergs crack to produce ice earthquakes.
You can listen to the audio in the video below…
This isn’t the first weird sound we’ve heard in the deep. In 2016, a group of researchers recorded a strange buzz that occurs at dusk and dawn. Scientists thought the noise could be a “dinner bell” for deep-water organisms that burrow in and out of the ocean’s depths to feed.
The sound was taken at a distance of about 200 to 1,000 meters from the mesopelagic zone, a very dark area with limited food resources.
You can listen to the audio from the NPR article here.
In August 1991, another voice was heard in the Pacific. Nicknamed “upscan” and lasting a few seconds at a time, it consisted of narrowband upscan sounds. Strangely, it was a seasonal sound that peaked in spring and autumn, but it is unknown whether this was due to source changes or seasonality.
Estimates are that volcanic activity is causing this sound. However, people are still unsure of the true source of the noise.
And of course, no one can forget “Julia” (video below), an audio recorded on March 1, 1999. This sound, recorded between Bransfield Strait and Cape Adare, is thought to be caused by a large iceberg that ran aground in Antarctica.
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