Wednesday, May 2, 2012

Weird Wednesday ~ Mistpouffers


Mistpouffers are unexplained reports that sound like a cannon or a sonic boom.  While Mistpouffers have been heard in many waterfront communities around the world, they have also been reported in many inland areas throughout the world.


Possible explanations for Mistpouffers are:
  • Meteors entering the atmosphere.
  • Gas:
    • Gas escaping from vents in the Earth's surface.
    • With lakes, natural gas from decaying vegetation trapped beneath the lake bottoms suddenly bursting forth. 
    • Explosive release of less volatile gases generated as limestone decays in underwater caves.
  • Military aircraft (though it cannot explain occurrences of the phenomenon which predate supersonic flight).
  • In some cases, they have been associated with earthquakes.
  • A recent explanation is that the noise is very distant thunder which has been focused anomalously as it traveled through the upper atmosphere.
  • Underwater caves collapsing, and the air rapidly rising to the surface.
  • Firearms being discharged.
  • Possible resonance from solar and/or earth magnetic activity inducing sounds.

But strange Earth sounds aren't limited to boom-like noises. These noises can also come in the form of hums, bloops, low frequency sounds recorded underwater (these low frequency noises do not sound like any known sea creature) , human-like screams emanating from deep holes in the Earth and even odd radio signals have been detected in outer space.


To read more about Mistpouffers, Click Here!


***  I, personally, have not had any experiences with odd Earth noises but when I lived in Arkansas, numerous people who lived about 15 miles to the southeast of us (as the Crow flies) reported hearing/feeling loud booming noises - much like that a cannon would make. The source of these noises remains a mystery.

2 comments:

Debra She Who Seeks said...

Neat name for an odd phenomenon!

Robin Larkspur said...

As regards to the various gas eruptions as explanation, I believe we have mistpouffers in my very own home...on a regular basis, in the general region of my husband!