Mysterious Noises in the Night: Investigating an Unexplained Phenomenon

[wolram]

May be not a S-a-D topic but i remember a thread on strange noises,
at night i can hear a noise that is like a big motor running in the distance,
it is all most at the limit of hearing but as soon as you hear the noise you
can not ignore it, i have driven around the area but the noise either does
not get louder or vanishes, i have a motor way about 3 miles away across
country and on quiet nights i can hear traffic on it, but the noise is totally
different, there are no high tension electric cables near by AFAIK, the noise
is not all ways audible/ there, about 4 nights a week on average.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

How far are you from the coast. A large marine generator comes to mind. Also, trains.

Funny though, your description is much like some given for the Taos hum. Some people claim that once you hear it you can never stop hearing it. But from I know, no measurable phenomenon - sound - has ever been found. I tend to think this is more tinnitus than phenomenon.

 

[hypatia]

or do you now live in Troll country?...think underground...

 

[wolram]

or do you now live in Troll country?...think underground...

:rofl: I guess it could be an under ground noise.

 

[wolram]

How far are you from the coast. A large marine generator comes to mind. Also, trains.

Funny though, your description is much like some given for the Taos hum. Some people claim that once you hear it you can never stop hearing it. But from I know, no measurable phenomenon - sound - has ever been found. I tend to think this is more tinnitus than phenomenon.

Hi Ivan, i live in the midlands far from the coast, i thought about tinnitus, but
when asked to listen, others can hear it, without me telling them what to
listen for, they describe the sound, near enough.

 

[hypatia]

Have any mineing with in 10 miles? At one time I lived miles from a salt mine, yet could hear underground rumbleings from it.

 

[wolram]

Have any mineing with in 10 miles? At one time I lived miles from a salt mine, yet could hear underground rumbleings from it.

The nearest mine, now disused is about 30 miles away, there is a cement
quarying opperation about 10 miles away as the crow flys, i can think of
no heavy industry in the area, the nearest railway is about 4 miles away.

 

[wolram]

I have just looked at the Taos hum, it seems all most the same, but 2 out of 3 people can hear this noise and there are no other physical effects other
than a few sleepless nights.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

The trouble with the Taos hum is that if it was a sound we would measure it.

 

[PIT2]

Maybe its the same noise as from this story:

In May 2004, the Telegraph reported how unidentified humming and whizzing sounds were keeping Mrs Belton awake at her Pretymen Crescent home.

Since then a team of experts from the University of Salford have visited the location as part of a national research project into the "hum".

A fascinating report has proved the noises Mrs Belton hears are not just sounds in her head.

In a report by academics, an intermittent sound of between 40 and 60 decibels was recorded at the pensioner's home.

The findings were mirrored in other parts of the country where low frequency sounds were also registered in areas where residents complained of "humming" noises.

However, the cause of the noises remain a mystery.

http://www.thisisgrimsby.co.uk/displayNode.jsp?nodeId=151901&command=displayContent&sourceNode=151727&contentPK=13801119&folderPk=86530

 

[wolram]

I think i can rule out heavy industry and power surges, there is none near
where i live, the industrial estate where i work is the nearest and that is
5 miles away, after that it would be about 15 miles to the nearest town,
even then i can think of no heavy power users.
The noise we hear is a rhythmic beat that can last for 6 hrs or so, i have
driven a mile from my house and could not detect the noise, but could when
3 miles away.

 

[PIT2]

I saw a TV show about elephants one time, and they said elephants use low frequency noises that can travel to and be heard by their colleages far away. I think they said it could be heard from 50km away.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

Yes, I was thinking that the distances described do not rule out the low frequencies. In ideal circumstances, I wouldn't be surprised if you heard a very loud, low frequency source located up to ten miles away. The elephants use infra-sound, but we are good down to about 20 Hz, which is pretty low. At night I can sometimes hear the rumbling sounds from either a mill located about five miles from here, or perhaps from a train that would have to be at least as far.

 

[wolram]

Is there any electronic device that can pick up these sounds, and give a
rough direction, i have seen some, but they seem rather heath robinson,
may be a long tube with a microphone at its base?

 

[Evo]

:rofl: I guess it could be an under ground noise.

This reminds me of infrasound. Could there be underground water or caves in the area?

editeh, Ivan already had the same thought, I should read all posts first.

 

[Moonbear]

It's probably some teenager with those thumping speakers blasting rap music in his car.

 

[wolram]

This reminds me of infrasound. Could there be underground water or caves in the area?

editeh, Ivan already had the same thought, I should read all posts first.

There are quite a few springs in the area, but we have had a dry winter and
they are nearly all dry, but who knows the hills are only a mile away, and run
off from them could keep a water course running.
Strange since i started this post i have only heard it once for about 10 minutes.

 

[wolram]

It's probably some teenager with those thumping speakers blasting rap music in his car.

We do get our fair share of illegal raves, the last one went on for 15 hrs,
and oh boy you can sure identify that noise source.