The Singing Sand Dunes

wayoflife

Administrator
Staff member
Got talking to some old friends about this the other day and decided to post up this old video we made showing what the Kelso Sand Dunes sound like when they sing.


It's been way too long since we've done this and we may have to just brave the heat and do it again soon :cool:
 

MTG

Caught the Bug
That looks cool. Just looked it up. Interesting phenomenon. Looks like a fun trip...minus the 100+ degree heat. :icon_crazy:
 

Mechengineer2

New member
Very cool! :thumb: That is something I would definitely like to experience. That sound gives you the chills! Curious on the science behind it so I did a Wikipedia search ...

Wikipedia: The Kelso Dunes are composed of five stacked sets of dunes, each set corresponding to a period of climate change over the last 25,000 years. During dry climate episodes, a decrease in stabilizing vegetation exposed surface sand to wind erosion, which ultimately brought the sand to the dunes (most of the eastern part of the Kelso dunes was formed when nearby Soda Lake and Silver Lake dried into their current playas). However, once the sand was emplaced, vegetation began to grow, locking much of it into place.

The Kelso Dunes are also notable for the phenomenon known as singing sand, or "booming dunes". Enthusiasts typically climb to the top of the dunes and slide down slowly, generating a low-frequency rumble that can be both felt and heard. This effect has also been noted at the Eureka Dunes in California, Sand Mountain in Nevada, and the Booming Dunes in the Namib Desert, Africa. The booming is much more pronounced when the dunes are extremely dry.
 
Top Bottom