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Infrasound, Elephants and Earthquake Detection

Posted by timothy on from the how-low-can-you-audibly-go dept.

mediareport writes "Science News offers a timely antidote to simplistic mumbo-jumbo about the "mythical power" of animal earthquake detection. Anyone intrigued by reports of possible tsunami-avoidance behavior in Sri Lankan wildlife will enjoy this detailed examination of the latest research into low-frequency sound. Elephant rumblings that produce Rayleigh waves are now under serious study for the first time, while others are designing "highly unusual" experiments to test infrasound sensitivity in humans."

2 of 34 comments (clear)

  1. Dead fishes by helioquake · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I wondered about those fishes that died ashore after the tsunami...

    The sound wave indeed propagates through water about 1400km/h, much greater than the propagation speed of tsunami wave at this time (~1000km/h). So the fishes most probably have "heard" the low freqency wave. I'm sure no fish can outswim the tsunami, but I'm a tiny bit surprised to see so many of them got stranged in land.

    I know the physics of waves, but have little experience in ocean current under sea. Would tsunami wave actually whirl up and down so fast that deep ocean fishes get dredged up fast and get knocked out before dying ashore? Or do they simply get left behind waves and asphyxiate to death?

  2. Re:Animals don't win Darwins by dasunt · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I'm sure there was lots of infra-whats-a-ma-gig going on, but regardless of those factors, what it comes down to is that animals just aren't as stupid as humans.

    When confronted with an unusual, confusing situation, they get the fuck out. Whether it was the vibrations, the noise, or the distant sea swell, doesn't matter, they got the fuck out.

    That's loser speak. ;)

    What is better for Og: Avoiding the sharp rock that cut him? Or figuring out how to use that sharp rock to cut others?

    Avoid fire like the rest of creation? Or use it to keep him warm and build better spears to kill others?

    Og thinking that, like all other predators, a healthy, adult mammoth shouldn't be messed with? Or scream and taunt the mammoth to the point where, in order to escape this mad creature, the mammoth tries to flee, forgetting about the large cliff...

    Sure, Og's actions lead to a high deathrate amoung Og's kin. But a few Ogs later, the rest of the clan is much better off.