Bloop
Encyclopedia
The Bloop is the name given to an ultra-low frequency and extremely powerful underwater sound detected by the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
(NOAA) in 1997. The source of the sound remains unknown.
equipment originally designed to detect Soviet submarine
s.
According to the NOAA description, it "rises rapidly in frequency over about one minute and was of sufficient amplitude to be heard on multiple sensors, at a range of over 5,000 km." The NOAA's Dr. Christopher Fox does not believe its origin is man-made, such as a submarine or bomb, or familiar geological events such as volcanoes or earthquakes. While the audio profile of the Bloop does resemble that of a living creature, the source is a mystery both because it is different from known sounds and because it was several times louder than the loudest known, recorded animal, the blue whale
. Five other significant unexplained sounds have been named by NOAA: Julia
, Train
, Slow Down
, Whistle
, and Upsweep
.
Dr. Christopher Fox of the NOAA speculated that the Bloop may be ice calving
in Antarctica. A year later journalist David Wolman paraphrased Dr. Fox who suggested it was likely animal in origin.
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration , pronounced , like "noah", is a scientific agency within the United States Department of Commerce focused on the conditions of the oceans and the atmosphere...
(NOAA) in 1997. The source of the sound remains unknown.
Analysis
The sound, traced to somewhere around 50° S 100° W (a remote point in the south Pacific Ocean west of the southern tip of South America), was detected several times by the Equatorial Pacific Ocean autonomous hydrophone array, which uses U.S. NavyUnited States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
equipment originally designed to detect Soviet submarine
Submarine
A submarine is a watercraft capable of independent operation below the surface of the water. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability...
s.
According to the NOAA description, it "rises rapidly in frequency over about one minute and was of sufficient amplitude to be heard on multiple sensors, at a range of over 5,000 km." The NOAA's Dr. Christopher Fox does not believe its origin is man-made, such as a submarine or bomb, or familiar geological events such as volcanoes or earthquakes. While the audio profile of the Bloop does resemble that of a living creature, the source is a mystery both because it is different from known sounds and because it was several times louder than the loudest known, recorded animal, the blue whale
Blue Whale
The blue whale is a marine mammal belonging to the suborder of baleen whales . At in length and or more in weight, it is the largest known animal to have ever existed....
. Five other significant unexplained sounds have been named by NOAA: Julia
Julia (unidentified sound)
"Julia" is a sound recorded on March 1, 1999 by the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration . NOAA said the source of the sound was unknown, but sufficiently loud to be heard over the entire Equatorial Pacific Ocean autonomous hydrophone array. It lasted for about 15 seconds, and its...
, Train
Train (unidentified sound)
The Train is the name given to an unidentified sound recorded on March 5, 1997 on the Equatorial Pacific Ocean autonomous hydrophone array. The sound rises to a quasi-steady frequency...
, Slow Down
Slow Down (unidentified sound)
Slow Down is a sound recorded on May 19, 1997, in the Equatorial Pacific Ocean by the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The source of the sound remains unknown.-Analysis:...
, Whistle
Whistle (unidentified sound)
The Whistle is an unidentified sound recorded by the autonomous hydrophone deployed at a location in the Pacific Ocean with coordinates. It was recorded on July 7, 1997. Origin of the signal is unknown, and it was not detected on any other hydrophone...
, and Upsweep
Upsweep (unidentified sound)
Upsweep is an unidentified sound detected on NOAA's equatorial autonomous hydrophone arrays. This sound was present when PMEL began recording SOSUS in August, 1991. It consists of a long train of narrow-band upsweeping sounds of several seconds duration each...
.
Dr. Christopher Fox of the NOAA speculated that the Bloop may be ice calving
Ice calving
Ice calving, also known as glacier calving or iceberg calving, is a form of ice ablation or ice disruption. It is the sudden release and breaking away of a mass of ice from a glacier, iceberg, ice front, ice shelf, or crevasse...
in Antarctica. A year later journalist David Wolman paraphrased Dr. Fox who suggested it was likely animal in origin.