Singing sand

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Singing sand or barking sand is sand that emits sounds of either high or low frequency under pressure. The sound emission is usually triggered by wind passing over dunes or by walking on the sand. The sound is generated by shear stress.

Certain conditions have to come together to create singing sand:

1. The sand grains have to be round and between 0.1 and 0.5 mm in diameter
2. The sand has to contain silica
3. The sand needs to be a certain humidity

The most common frequency emitted seems to be close to 450 Hz.

Other sounds that can be emitted by sand have been described as "roaring" or "booming".

[edit] See also

• Bouncing stones

[edit] External links

• Booming sand

[edit] References

• Nori, Franco; Sholtz, Paul; & Bretz, Michael (September 1997). "Booming sand", Scientific American, 277(3), 84.
• Sholtz, Paul; Bretz, Michael; & Nori, Franco (October 1997). "Sound-producing sand avalanches", Contemporary Physics, 38(5), 329-342.