Mysterious Skyquakes Around the World Leave Scientists Puzzled

Skyquakes Puzzle Scientists Worldwide—What’s Causing Them?

For over 200 years, experts have witnessed such events in different places, including India, Japan, and several U.S. cities. However, many people confused them with distant thunder, explosions, gunshots, or cars backfiring, but they were skyquakes. Experts were unsure of the causes behind this phenomenon, but many were convinced that it might have been due to natural changes in the atmosphere or human-made events. This phenomenon was known by different names in various places; near Seneca Lake in New York, they were called 'Seneca guns'; in Belgium, they were known as 'mistpoeffers'; and in Japan, they were called 'uminari,' which meant 'cries from the sea.' Let’s explore more about the cause behind this mysterious phenomenon.

The Strange Global Phenomenon

Skyquakes were described as bizarre events that produced loud noises like sonic booms or explosions, leaving people confused and curious. The first recorded skyquake happened in New Madrid, Missouri, in 1811, where locals heard strange sounds during a 7.2-magnitude earthquake. The mystery of this phenomenon was not limited to one area; similar events were reported in the Adriatic Sea, Franklinville, New York, and Charleston, South Carolina. Famed author James Fenimore Cooper explained these incidents in his short story The Lake Gun . He wrote, according to the New York Post , "The lake seemed to be speaking to the surrounding hills, which sent back the echoes of its voice in accurate reply."

Theories Without Answers

Experts worked relentlessly to find the cause of this strange yet scary phenomenon. Some common theories included meteoric impacts, changes in air pressure, complex weather conditions, gas escaping from lakes, or human-made sources like noise from airplanes or military drills. Knewz.com noted that these theories suggested no acceptable conclusion, highlighting the need for more thorough surveys and research. Researcher Eli Bird at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill stated, according to UNILAD , "Generally speaking, we believed this was an atmospheric phenomenon — we didn't think it was coming from seismic activity. We assumed it was propagating through the atmosphere rather than the ground."

Skyquakes vs. Earthquakes

The basic difference between the two was that skyquake noises seemed to come from the sky, while earthquakes involved the ground shaking as a result of energy release. The USGS explained to the New York Post , "Small shallow earthquakes sometimes produced rumbling sounds or booms that could be heard by people who were very close to them." Additionally, skyquakes were detected through personal reports and special sensors in the atmosphere, whereas earthquakes were measured using seismographs. While the main impact of skyquakes was the fear and confusion among those who heard them, earthquakes could cause destruction, damaging the Earth and threatening human lives.

Areas Prone to Skyquakes

Some of the common areas where skyquakes were reported included the Ganges River delta in India, the Finger Lakes in New York, and coastal areas in Belgium and the Netherlands. Other areas included Japan, Australia, Ireland, and Scotland. However, they were heard in many parts of the world, but studies suggested that they were mostly recorded near large lakes or coastlines, as reported by IFLScience . The reasons could have included extreme weather conditions or seismic activities. In places like North Carolina, researchers noticed more reports but didn’t find any clues that pointed to atmospheric changes or any mysterious seismic movement.