Singing Sand Dunes

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The Singing Sand Dunes or Song of Dunes, also described as roaring, booming, squeaking, or musical sand, is the name given to a natural sound phenomenon of up to 115 decibels lasting as long as several minutes that occurs in about 35 desert locations around the world. The sound is similar to a loud, low-pitch, rumble, and it emanates from the crescent-shaped dunes, or barchans, without any direct wind involvement. Scientists announced in 2006 that they had discovered how this phenomenon works[1]: collisions between grains of sands cause the motions of the grains to become synchronized. The outer layer of the dune resonates like the cone of a loudspeaker. The particular note produced largely depends on the size of the grains. The scientists suggested that the most beautiful sounds come from dunes in Oman.