Behold the "bloop". This is a spectrogram of an unidentified sound picked up by U.S undersea microphones in 1997. These hydrophones were placed in oceans all over the world to monitor Soviet submarine movement during the Cold War. The microphone stations lie hundreds of yards below the surface, at a depth where sound waves become trapped in a area known as the "deep sound channel". This layer of water has the perfect combination of temperature and pressure to cause any sound waves to keep going without being scattered by the ocean bottom or the surface. Most of the sounds detected are known to come from whales, ships or underwater earthquakes. Scientists have gotten so good at recognizing these sounds that they can pinpoint the species, and if it has been heard before, even the individual whale. This is why it is so interesting that scientists cannot figure out what exactly made this noise.
This same type of sound was heard several times of the course of the summer of 1997, but never heard again. This sound was heard by two hydrophones 3000 miles apart so it had to be an incredibly loud noise. Most of the time, scientists can tell when these noises come from underwater currents, volcanos or earthquakes, but this was very different.While it displays the varying frequency that is true of most marine animals, it is far more powerful than the calls made by any creature known on Earth. The frequency of the sound meant that it had to be much louder than any animal noise that we have ever heard, including those produced by the largest whales, which are known for creating the loudest noises by any animal on land or in the ocean. The one thing most researchers agree on however, is that it is very likely that it was a living creature.
One theory out there now is that it could have been created by a giant squid. The largest squid ever examined was dead and washed up on shore, only measuring 60 feet. However, there have been countless stories and legends about collossal squid over one hundred feet in length, attacking ships and wrestling with blue whales. One hole in this idea is that squid do not have a gas filled sac that is normally needed to produce these kind of sounds.
If it can't possibly be a giant squid and is much too loud to be a supersized whale, then what is it? 95 percent of uncharted ocean tells me that it is something that we have never seen before.
Decide for yourself
Posted by naina
This is crazy- cool. I completely agree with you, by the way. If scientists think that this is a living creature, than it has to be a species we have yet to discover. Sound detectors 300 miles apart? That is a ridiculously loud sound! This creature must be HUGE. If it was a giant squid, maybe it was one of few that have evolved to have the gas filled sac required for this sound? Is there a way that this sound could have been many whales in perfect unison?
ReplyDeletePosted by Chelsea Van Thof.
It's seems beneficial to science to find something as outlandish and inexplicable as this 'bloop'. Finding something like this knocks us on our toes and makes us question how much we really know, and should make us redouble our efforts in our exploration of nature. The deep trenches of Earth's oceans are one of the most mysterious places in the universe. I hope one day we'll be able to further explore them and find out just what's down there to cause such a loud disturbance. As silly as it sounds, my fingers are crossed that some awe-inspiring behemoth lives beneath the seas. I'm personally rooting for Godzilla or Cthulhu.
ReplyDeletePosted by Rhys Ursuliak
This sound seems to be relatively low frequency, and it's got a pretty wide range of frequencies. Since it's such a low frequency, the creature that produced this must have been huge. It is always exciting to find new species, and it makes it all the more exciting if that species is evasive. Perhaps it might be good idea to start placing some recorders that pick up electrical, thermal, and visual signals...?
ReplyDeletePosted by Michael Shi
I think it is really cool when we come across mysteries such as these since they are so much fun to puzzle over and even more satisfying when the solution is finally found. I actually studied the giant squid, granted it was when I was in elementary school, and there was very little known about them since they were hard to find. I think that would have been about 10 years ago so I am sure there have been more sighting and more specimens captured.
ReplyDeleteI think part of the problem is that none were ever found alive. I do remember that their eyes were the size of basketballs! So cool that they make sounds so loud (we think)!!
Posted by Caroline Adams
The lochness monseter does exist! In your article you say that the species could be a giant squid or whale. Does the spectrogram of this call match any sort of pattern in the spectrogram of the species previously stated? Also how do we know the sound is not from a natural process such as tectonic plates shifting?
ReplyDeletePosted by Nick Gast
The ocean is vast and today we are still discovering new species. I would not be surprised if this sound came from something undiscovered, something smart enough to know that it should stay away from humans. I would like to think that there is a creature out there living as naturally as animals had before the time of humans and destruction.
ReplyDeleteMaybe it was some form of whale and shark combo...who knows. This is where Science Fiction and imagination comes into play/ theories. Until we find evidence of a creature large enough to produce this sound. Until then...
Posted by: Em Arsenault
I am glad you guys agree with me and hope it is some huge unknown creature that is waiting to be found.
ReplyDeleteNick - We don't know if it is definitely an animal sound, but based on the varying frequency many scientists are thinking it is just a very large creature. I think moving tectonic plates and other common natural sounds have distinct frequencies and can easily be identified.
Posted by Jacob Lafauce
It is very possible that this noise as produce by a giant squid. As humans we know more about our moon then the deep parts of the ocean. With the ocean covering 70-75% of our planet if their is a species science hasn't discovered its a good bet it's in the ocean. I personally believe there is a good number of species that we have yet to cateogorize.
ReplyDeleteBy: Andrew Ryan