Earth Hum Could Predict Hurricanes, More

UPDATE: Thanks to blog reader Jason, I found the article. When Discovery Magazine published the online version, they changed the title from "The Buzz of the Earth" to "Earth Speaks in an Inaudible Voice".

ORIGINAL POST:

I read an interesting article in a respected Science magazine recently, and I wouldn't give it so much credence if it wasn't on paper (unfortunately I forgot which mag it was and I couldn't find the article on the Net). It was entitled "The Buzz of the Earth" and said that scientists have discovered extremely-low-frequency "sounds" (called "Infrasound" - and out of human hearing range) emanating from:

- Tsunamis
- Hurricanes
- Tornadoes (see NOAA graphic at right)
- Waves over Earthquake Zones
- Volcanoes
- Avalanches
- Elephants

The article says that NOAA's ESRL Infrasonics Program even has a net of "tornado approach sensors" based on this research, along with hand-drawn theories on tornado infrasound. They claim 30-minute advanced warnings, but they don't tell their false positive rate. At the University of Mississippi, the article says they are trying to detect infrasound from Hurricanes to predict storm development.

Infrasound might explain the rumors of animals fleeing the 2004 Tsunami, though the scientist who discovered the elephant's infrasound cacophony is suspicious of the stories, quoting other animals that didn't seek higher ground. She does believe, however, that elephants can "sense approaching storms."

Solving the mystery of "cities that hum" might also be possible through this infrasound research, but it's not clear yet how exactly.