Usually, when we think about desertwe think of a silence that deceives you, broken at most by the wind or sand that rustles. But no! In some super rare places in the world, the sand dunes they come to life and start pulling out deep sounds and resonant who can last for whole minutes. This phenomenon, which we call “Canto delle dune“, or too”dunes who buzz“or”dunes moving“, He left his explorers and scientists openly, giving birth to a lot of legends and fantastic stories. But what’s behind this natural music?
How does the sand “making music”
The song of the dunes is a somewhat complex acoustic phenomenon, which depends on a mix of geological and environmental factors. The secret lies all in the composition and in the structure of the sand same. The dunes who manage to “sing” are made of almost spherical grainsall of the same dimension (usually between 0.1 and 0.5 millimeters in diameter) and, fundamental thing, very cleanwithout a swallow of clay or dust.
When the sand moves – often because the wind moves it or because a part of the dune landslide – the grains slide on each other in a super synchronized way. This group movement, rhythmic, creates some vibrations that spread to the surface layer of the dune, transforming it into a kind of huge natural resonance case. The type of sound can changebut they are usually low notesa bit like those of a cello or an organ, and can be really strong, up to 100 Decibellike the sound of a chainsaw! Another trick is the presence of a slightly more humid sand layer under the dry surface: this amplifies the sound, “trapping” the vibrations and making them bounce, intensifying the effect.
Where it is possible to find this acoustic phenomenon
The song of the dunes is a very rare event, which can be seen only in about 30-35 seats scattered around the world. Among the most famous places where you can enjoy this acoustic show of nature are:
- The Dunes of Kelso, California, USA: Here the dunes make a sound reminiscent of an organ.
- The Dunne of Dunhuang, China: known as “Mingsha Shan” (ie “mountain of the resonant sand”), famous for their melodies.
- The Dunes of Al-Ghurayfah, Oman: another top place to hear the singing dunes.
- The Dune of Rig-and Jenn, Iran: an immense and inaccessible desert where the phenomenon is well known.
- The Dunes of Pismo Beach, California, USA: an example on the coast, less impressive but still fascinating.
An interesting thing is that the sound does not change only theintensitybut also the “stamp“, depends on the size of the grains sandy and from the speed with slide. Some sounds seem like a deep rumbleothers a constant humwhile still others are a real “song” choral. Scientists are still there to study this geological-acoustic enigma, trying to understand all its secrets and factors that make this wonder possible.
