Strange Noises Are Coming from the Sky High Country Beat by Ed Kociela Sunday, November 9, 2003 It's time to admit that my friend and office-mate Jennifer Weaver and friend and radio host Steve Miner are not the only people with unusual UFO experiences recently. I haven't seen anything funny in the sky, but I sure have heard some strange rumblings -- and I know it's for real because my wife has heard them and even my dogs have been startled from their napping a couple of times over the past few weeks by strange noises from the sky. Not long ago, another friend told me he saw the B-2 bomber flying over Cedar Mountain. This guy is about to become a pilot and has a set of eyes on him that an eagle would covet, so I don't doubt his report. The B-2, however, doesn't sound like some of the things that have shaken my home and ears. Whatever it is, it's flying very high -- out of my eyesight at least -- and fast. And with the sound seemingly echoing around the valley, it's difficult to pinpoint the spot in the sky where this aircraft is flying. Now just because we can't identify it doesn't mean there are aliens patrolling the neighborhood, to be sure, although it would be interesting to cover an extraterrestrial landing. I have noticed that there have been a number of corkscrew contrails flowing across the sky, indicating some sort of jet propulsion. Normal jet engines do not produce that kind of pattern, at least in my experience. Calling the U.S. Air Force would be futile, especially since we are so close to Area 51 and Nellis Air Force Base where the military does things we're not supposed to know about. But if anybody else has heard or seen something strange in the skies, let me know. I hate to sound like Art Bell, but there is definitely something odd going on above us. ----------------- back to sky quake reports Debunking the Theories Behind the Mystery Booms - January 20, 2004 Windows rattled. People frantically dialed 911. Sound familiar? No, it's not Lititz. It's Manatee County, Florida, where in June residents heard and felt the same kinds of thunderous booms reported in the small Lancaster County town eight days ago. The mysterious explosion heard in Florida was only one case among 20 reported to police across the country in the last several years, according to the Bradenton Herald newspaper. Similar phenomena have occurred as close as Dover, Del., the paper reported. And just like those, the booms heard in Lititz on Jan. 12 remain unexplained. Weird. Very, very weird. "It's one of those things people would like an answer for,'' said Randy Gockley, the county's emergency management coordinator. "It's one of those unexplained things.'' In addition to Lititz, the sporadic booms here have also been felt in Elizabeth and Manor townships, Columbia Borough and parts of eastern Lancaster County dating back to Jan. 2. Several good theories have been debunked. Was it roadwork near the Lancaster Airport? Blasting at a Lititz-area quarry? A series of small earthquakes? No, no and no. Was it a sonic boom from a supersonic fighter jet? It depends on whom you ask. Charles K. Scharnberger, a professor emeritus at Millersville University and expert on earthquakes, has ruled out a quarry blast or earthquake -- both of which would have clearly registered on a seismograph. "I would think that blasting is enough of a charge that if that many people felt it, I certainly would have recorded a clear signal,'' he said. "I see quarry blasts all the time. Whatever this little thing I saw was, it was not a quarry blast or an earthquake. "A sonic boom is still the best explanation I can think of,'' Scharnberger said. "The only outfit flying faster than the speed of sound is the military.'' Typically, though, military fighters do not fly exercises over populated areas because of the panic their sonic booms cause below. Officials at both Harrisburg International and Lancaster airports refuted theories that the noises were caused by aircraft traveling at or above the speed of sound overhead. "My operations people aren't aware of anything like that,'' said HIA spokesman Scott Miller. "They don't get many supersonic airplanes through here.'' An air-traffic controller backed up his story: "We didn't have any particularly large aircraft going through here -- nothing large enough that would be going that fast or cause something like that.'' At the Lancaster Airport, air traffic manager John Moeller said that if the noise were a sonic boom, many more people than the several dozen who called police would have felt it. "A sonic boom doesn't fly,'' Moeller said. "When it happens, it happens over a very broad area. Anything that's off the nose of the aircraft is going to feel it. If you feel it in Lititz, you feel it in Neffsville and Lancaster.'' Moeller said the booms heard on Jan. 12 may have been caused by construction near the airport. Mountville-based Abel Construction Co. is relocating parts of Millport and Kissel Hill roads in a $9.1 million project that will lay the groundwork for a runway extension. But Bill Mead, the project manager, poked a pretty big hole in that theory. "We haven't done any blasting over there since before Christmas,'' he said. Jeff Weidman, an accountant who works in Brownstown, suggested the mysterious booms could be "frost quakes'' -- such as the one he and his co-workers felt Monday night. "It actually felt like something fell on top of the roof. It shook the building quite a bit,'' said Weidman, who works at Detweiler, Hershey & Associates on Oregon Pike. "We kind of looked out the window to see if anything fell over or if there was an accident,'' Weidman said. "We didn't see anything.'' A frost quake, Scharnberger explained, occurs when a thick layer of ice covering the ground suddenly cracks. "It can make a loud, sharp banging sound,'' he said. While that explanation is certainly plausible for the loud boom in Brownstown Monday night, it most likely does not explain what happened on Jan. 12, Scharnberger said. There was no ice on the ground, and the temperature was above freezing. "I don't think we had such conditions,'' Scharnberger said. The mystery continues. Tom Murse Lancaster New Era via Lancaster Online back to sky quake reports City officials can't pinpoint cause of mysterious 'booms' in Richmond Virginia News- By Minnie Roh -NBC12 News Wednesday, November 17, 2004 Those mysterious booms have returned and they're shaking up residents on Richmond's Northside. Residents first reported hearing and feeling those "booming" noises on election night. But they ended as mysteriously as they began. Then, just two nights ago, the "booms" were back. Officials are at a loss. They say they've looked at everything from sewer gasses to kids doing mischief. They have even contacted the state's emergency management services. But, the source of those booms continues to evade them. Carrie Bowen says the noises scare her, especially since it typically seems to happen close to midnight when she is turning in for the night. The strange booms rocked the neighborhood two weeks ago around Election Day, causing many residents to speculate that terrorism was involved. City officials have ruled out that possibility. Bowen says she just wants to noises to stop. Or at the very least, know why it's happening. “Sounded like a bulldozer banging into a trash can,” says Bowen. Dozens of Northside residents have called the city after feeling and hearing these booms. City spokesman Bill Farrar admits he's stumped. The city's looked into everything from sewer gas explosions to the air national guard doing flyovers in the area. So now, they wait for the next boom to occur. “We'll come out, and hear it for ourselves. And follow it, test and isolate and locate it,” says Farrar. Farrar urges anyone who hears or feels those booms to call 9-1-1 immediately. He says they are trying to get a map of all the calls so they can pinpoint the location more accurately. (c) 2004. Jefferson Pilot Communications. All rights reserved. back to sky quake reports "Boom" is Back (Fort Wayne-WANE-November 10, 2004) - After about a month of silence, Fort Wayne's mysterious "boom" has returned. "You can't describe it," said Helene Lilly, who heard it almost 10 times Tuesday night and Wednesday morning. "You think you're in a war." News channel 15 and the Fort Wayne Police Department have each received dozens of phone calls about the noises. This time, the loudest ones seem to have come from near Parkview Hospital on eEst State Boulevard. The people in that neighborhood said their houses were rocked and their windows were rattled repeatedly since Tuesday night. According to residents, there were four loud booms between 9:30 p.m. and midnight, and another round of four between 6 a.m. And 8:15 a.m. Wednesday. As of right now, neighbors are concerned. "I need help because I can't sleep, it scares me, and it scares my whole neighborhood and the children over there, they're upset, too. And it just isn't right you know?" Lilly said. The Fort Wayne Police have no answers. "It's a rabbit we're still trying to chase down the hole right now," said PIO Michael Joyner. "We don't know what the source is." Joyner said the FWPD has already increased patrols of the area to try to identify the source. back to sky quake reports UFO boom - Unidentified Foreign Object EDWARD FOSS - 08 November 2004 17:50 A suspected sonic boom heard across north-east Norfolk today was not caused by a British aircraft, it was confirmed tonight. The loud bang, heard at least from Sheringham to Halvergate near Yarmouth, startled hundreds of people going about their daily business at around noon. But a Ministry of Defence spokesman said it was not a domestic fighter that caused the incident, although he was unable to confirm the source of the sonic boom. “We believe there was a sonic boom, but it was not a British aircraft that caused it,” said Lt Col Stuart Green. “It was not one of ours.” Whether the aircraft was European or American was not clear, but they would be the most likely suspects. But it would have been a military aircraft, as no civilian plane is capable of going fast enough to make a sonic boom. A spokesman for the UK Civil Aviation Authority said the now out of service Concorde was the only civilian craft that had ever been able to travel fast enough to create the phenomenon. North Norfolk MP Norman Lamb described how he had been sitting in his office in North Walsham when he heard an “incredible boom”. “The building shook and like many people I was shocked. I thought 'has there been some sort of gas explosion?'” Mr Lamb said he felt the “disturbing” incident begged questions that needed to be answered. He pledged to approach ministers for an explanation. Ben Dunnell, assistant editor of Aircraft Illustrated and formerly from Norfolk, said sonic booms were rare in the UK. “There are regulations governing supersonic flight, but it is not clear what happened on this occasion.” When the sonic boom was heard, windows and homes shook while some people were reported to have been running for cover. “I heard this enormous explosion,” said John Hilton, who was in Stalham at the time. One or two people were very worried, although most realised fairly quickly what it probably was. But I don't feel things like this should be happening.” Police and RAF bosses received scores of calls from those concerned at the explosion. A sonic boom is a loud noise generated when an aeroplane travels faster than sound waves, which move at approximately 750mph at sea level. Pressure waves merge to form shock waves, which are heard as sonic booms when they hit the ground. Although there has been no official confirmation of the noise being a sonic boom, a spokesman at RAF Coltishall said there had been an assumption it was. He added that the Ministry of Defence in London was handling the investigation into the incident. A spokeswoman for Norfolk police said it was possible the noise was a sonic boom and that the investigation was in the hands of the RAF. The noise was heard in Overstrand momentarily before it was heard in Cromer, suggesting it came from an aircraft travelling east to west. Copyright © 2004 Archant Regional. All rights reserved. back to sky quake reports Strange Booming Noises Not New To State Experts Debate Sounds' Source POSTED: 11:30 am EST December 13, 2004 CHARLESTON -- A loud boom breaks the stillness on a clear day. There are no storms in the area, no jet aircraft flying by and no reports of earthquakes or explosions. The booms, heard from time to time in South Carolina, are popularly known as Seneca Guns, a folk term for unexplained booms that have been noted along the East Coast for years. The name comes from Seneca Lake in upstate New York where the booms have been heard at least since the 1800s. Author James Fenimore Cooper, who wrote "The Last of the Mohicans" among other novels, wrote about the phenomenon in a short story more than 150 years ago. One was heard in the Charleston area on Aug. 1 last year. Another apparent Seneca Gun was heard in May 2000 in the Midlands of South Carolina. While there is apparently no official records of such booms, they generally bring dozens of phone calls to law enforcement officials who can generally offer no explanation. There is no agreement on what causes the booms. Rich Thacker, a senior forecaster with the National Weather Service in Charleston, said they could result of colder air meeting warmer Gulf Stream air. There have also been suggestions the booms might be caused by methane gas explosions on the ocean floor. Tyler Clark, the chief geologist for the North Carolina Geological Survey, said he has heard explanations ranging from sonic booms carrying over the ocean to methane gas explosions, meteorites and even unidentified flying objects. Duke University seismologist Peter Malin said he knows how to tell where the noises are coming from. He suggests putting a recorder under ground and then comparing the readings to readings from a recorder above ground. He suggests the booms are caused in the atmosphere by electrical discharges with no visible lightning. Copyright 2004 by The Associated Press. All rights back to sky quake reports March 11, 2005 Sky Quakes / Mysterious Explosions in Florida On March 11, 2005, between the hours of 7:30 pm and 7:50 pm EST in and around Tampa Florida, a huge rumbling explosion sound occurred that left many residents wondering just what the source of the explosions where and why they occurred. Several reports regarding this occurrence where reported to Shadow Research, Inc. both email reports and phoned in reports on the toll-free hotline. The sound that was reported is consistent in the description made by all witnesses, who described the sound as a low, deep rumble very different from he sound that might accompany a shock wave made by an airplane. The rumble lasted several seconds, from 8 to 10 seconds in length with about 3 explosions very close together. The rumble also caused doors, windows and other household items to shake and move. As the explosive sounds occurred, residents came from their houses and out into the streets to have a look around and hopefully see what the source of the sounds were. As friends and neighbors talked to one another it was clear that the source of the sounds was unclear, yet powerful. Shortly after the explosions occurred the local news started to report on them. The Bay News 9, at 8:00 pm EST, stated that they received numerous calls concerning the explosive sounds. According to one report that came into Shadow Research, Inc., the witness had this to report: The anchor told the viewing audience that they had no idea what caused the sounds, then in mid- sentence the newscast went into advertisements. After 3 or four advertisements the newscast resumed. The anchor said, something to the effect, “no need to worry.. it was only two fighter jets flying over the area - coming into land at MacDill Air Force Base too fast”. The witness who sent in this report also stated that the statement sounded very scripted! During March 12, 2005, I did some searching for more information on this Sky quake report and found that at first it was thought to be an earthquake and was recorded on seismographic equipment. As you can see below, it is still under investigation and not confirmed, but one thing is correct if it was picked up as a possible earthquake, it was at ground level. Recent Earthquake Activity in the USA Magnitude ? (uncertain or not yet determined) - FLORIDA PENINSULA 2005 March 12 00:41:55 UTC Preliminary Earthquake Report U.S. Geological Survey, National Earthquake Information Center World Data Center for Seismology, Denver An earthquake occurred at 00:41:55 (UTC) on Saturday, March 12, 2005. The magnitude ? (uncertain or not yet determined) event has been located in FLORIDA PENINSULA. (This event has been reviewed by a seismologist.) The longitude and latitude of the above mentioned (uncertain) earthquake activity was 27.950 N 82.460 W. It is interesting to note that MacDill Air Force Base is located at 27.846 N 82.5182 W, only 7.9819 statute miles from the location of the (uncertain) earthquake. Magnitude ? (uncertain or not yet determined) Date-Time Saturday, March 12, 2005 at 00:41:55 (UTC) = Coordinated Universal Time Friday, March 11, 2005 at 7:41:55 PM = local time at epicenter Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones Location 27.950°N, 82.460°W Depth 5 km (3.1 miles) set by location program Region FLORIDA PENINSULA Distances 2 km (2 miles) S (169°) from Tampa, FL 8 km (5 miles) WNW (287°) from Palm River-Clair Mel, FL 9 km (5 miles) SSE (147°) from Egypt Lake-Leto, FL 327 km (203 miles) NW (318°) from Miami, FL Location Uncertainty Error estimate not available Parameters Nst= 1, Nph= 1, Dmin=102.5 km, Rmss=0 sec, Gp= 0, M-type="Nuttli" surface wave magnitude (MLg), Version=9 Source Macroseismic location Event ID Usvnab Felt Reports Sonic boom felt from Clearwater to Tampa. The above Yahoo map shows the location of MacDill Air Force Base. I have included this map to show the proximity of this base in conjunction with the explosion, and the “uncertain” earthquake. Take a moment and view both maps. The bloggers were busy trying to find out just what happened. The location for these blogs and comments can be found at www.freerepublic.com. Below I have included some of the comments from the Free Republic news blog area. - We're in south St. Pete, my neighbor just said he saw a few planes headed for Macdill. - He assumed sonic boom, but also said it lasted a long time for a sonic boom. But maybe if it was multiple jets that might happen. - Just heard a loud rumble. Thought it was just my neighborhood in south St. Pete. Now getting calls from friends across town asking if we felt it. - Yeah, I ran outside and a few neighbors were out there. It sounded like two sonic booms here in Largo. - Well, just got a call from Tampa and they heard it too. We don't have earthquakes, so I'm assuming some major sonic boom. - Darn right I did. My dog is still running around and upset. What was it? - Lasted a long time for a sonic boom though. My windows shook, my friends in north St. Pete said their floors were shaking. My niece lives over in Tampa, she just called too wondering what it was. - We just heard and felt something here in Sarasota...very strange!!! My wife just asked was that thunder and I thought it was Force 10 from Navarone because that is on. Just weird. - We are across the Bay in Tampa and something sort of shook our front door. Might well have been a sonic boom. The air force and navy both do a lot of drug interdiction flights out over the Gulf and it's not uncommon for them to get a bit too close to land or for the weather conditions to be just right and have it heard up and down the coast. - Coming up 95 thru Brevard I saw the white trail of a freshly launched rocket. I know they make sounds coming back in, but I don't know about going out. We're in south St. Pete, my neighbor just said he saw a few planes headed for Macdill. - Bay News 9 is investigating! They seem to be leaning toward sonic boom. - He assumed sonic boom, but also said it lasted a long time for a sonic boom. But maybe if it was multiple jets that might happen. Weather for the Tampa, Florida area. 7:05 PM 62.6 °F / 17.0 °C 53.6 °F / 12.0 °C 72% 29.92 in / 1013.1 hPa 10.0 miles / 16.1 kilometers WSW 4.6 mph / 7.4 km/h - N/A Clear 7:25 PM 60.8 °F / 16.0 °C 53.6 °F / 12.0 °C 77% 29.93 in / 1013.4 hPa 10.0 miles / 16.1 kilometers SW 4.6 mph / 7.4 km/h - N/A Clear 7:45 PM 60.8 °F / 16.0 °C 53.6 °F / 12.0 °C 77% 29.94 in / 1013.8 hPa 10.0 miles / 16.1 kilometers SW 5.8 mph / 9.3 km/h - N/A Clear 8:05 PM 60.8 °F / 16.0 °C 53.6 °F / 12.0 °C 77% 29.95 in / 1014.1 hPa 10.0 miles / 16.1 kilometers SW 4.6 mph / 7.4 km/h - N/A Clear 8:25 PM 60.8 °F / 16.0 °C 53.6 °F / 12.0 °C 77% 29.94 in / 1013.8 hPa 10.0 miles / 16.1 kilometers SW 5.8 mph / 9.3 km/h - N/A Shadow Research, Inc. will continue to pursue this story and will report our findings. In ending I would like to pose some questions. Can a sonic boom cause a reading on seismographic equipment? How did the Bayside News 9 find that the source of the “booms” were fighter jets? Shadow Research Inc. will be filing Freedom of Information Request to several agencies regarding this sky quake. If you have information relating to this or another unusual event please contact Shadow Research, Inc. www.shadowresearch.com.A special thanks to all that contacted Shadow Research, Inc concerning this report. We are very appreciative. Many ----thanks! back to sky quake reports Sonic booms shake up area Navy jets arriving at MacDill break the sound barrier and shatter the quiet of a Friday evening. GRAHAM BRINK and SAUNDRA AMRHEIN Published March 12, 2005 Seminole resident Henry Remi walked outside when he heard what sounded like a series of loud explosions Friday evening. His neighbor had done the same thing. "You hear that?" Remi asked. "Yeah, I heard it," replied the neighbor. Remi said he wanted to make sure he wasn't losing his mind. He wasn't. What Remi and thousands of other residents from Citrus to Manatee counties heard and felt was two F-18 jets breaking the sound barrier. The resulting booms resonated from Citrus to Manatee counties. The two Navy F-18 Hornets arrived from a naval air station in Pensacola and landed about 8 p.m., said Air Force 2nd Lt. Larry Vanderoord, spokesman for MacDill Air Force Base. He called their arrival a "routine landing" and said these planes usually fly faster and lower than typical planes landing at MacDill. The jets, based out of California, were scheduled to take off again today or Sunday. "They are very fast, and when they come in, they're very loud," Vanderoord said. The shaking registered on the U.S. Geological Survey seismograph in Orlando, measuring 2.7 on the Richter Scale, the equivalent of a weak earthquake. Central Florida is not an active earthquake area, said USGS duty officer Madeleine Zirbes. "They did see it register," Zirbes said from Denver, Colo. "They thought immediately that it could be a sonic boom." The blast prompted hundreds of calls to area newspapers, TV and radio stations and local authorities. Many residents headed outside to find out why their homes were shaking. Remi has heard the double boom that comes when space shuttles re-enter the atmosphere. On Friday, he said it sounded more like five or six booms in a row. "I never heard so many booms come as rapidly as that," he said. Carrollwood resident Mark Thatcher heard the rumbling over the noise of his television set. "It just sounded like an airplane really close," he said. St. Petersburg Time (C) All rights reserved. back to sky quake reports MORE BLASTS IN BAY AREA - California - USA October 1955 Three more blasts--unexplained, but believed to be sonic booms from jet planes--were reported last night in the Bay area. No damage was reported. The first noise was heard in the Martinez-Concord area at about 8:15 p.m., and was variously described by residents there as sounding like "a howitzer going off" and "a blast of dynamite." The second and third disturbances were heard in the Palo-Alto Menlo Park area where police said blasts were reported at 11:25 and 11:50 p.m. Hamilton Air Force Base and Alameda Naval Station said they had no jet fighters in the air at the time. back to sky quake reports "BLASTS" JAR EASTSIDERS California, USA October 1955 At least four sharp and unexplained explosions were heard by homeowners in a wide area of East San Jose last night. The blasts rattled windows in some houses along King Road. They were so loud that some householders thought their water heaters had exploded. A sheriff's car sent into the area to investigate had been unable to find any source for the blasts at a late hour. There were no reports of fires, dynamiting or other damage. Reporting parties timed the first blast at shortly before 8:00 p.m. and the last about 9:00 p.m. back to sky quake reports Winston-Salem Residents Report Hearing Boom, Feeling Ground Shake March 6, 2005- WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. -- Forsyth County residents reported hearing two loud booms and feeling the ground and buildings shake Saturday night, but the source of the noise was unknown. Winston-Salem fire and police heard the noise, as did EMS personnel downtown. The Forsyth County Emergency Management contacted the U.S Geological Survey, which said that if there was seismic activity in the area, if registered less than 4.0 on the Richter scale, police said. There were no reports of injuries or structural damage. People reported hearing the noise downtown, in the West End and at Joel Coliseum. However, people said they didn't hear the noise at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center or near Hanes Mall. Kernersville police said they didn't hear it, and neither did the Forsyth County Fire Department or the Forsyth County Sheriff's Office. Duke Power reported no outages or transformer explosions, and Piedmont Natural Gas also reported no problems. A communications officer at Piedmont Triad International Airport said that the sound wasn't heard there, and had no explanation for it. Officials with both Pope Air Force Base in Fayetteville and the Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, in Goldsboro, said that no military aircraft were flying over the area at the time. A meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Raleigh said there was no thunder or lightning in the area. Source: The News & Observer back to sky quake reports Mysterious Blasts Not Quake, Could Be Sonic Boom Ahmedabad News Saturday , March 12, 2005 D.V. Maheshwari Bhuj, March 12: The mysterious blasts which were heard in central and western Kutch early this month triggering panic among people have no connection whatsoever with an earthquake or any movement in the earth’s crust. This was confirmed by leading geologist, Dr Arun Bapat on a special visit to the region on Thursday. The reason could be a sonic boom caused by supersonic aircrafts that frequent the region, he opined. ‘‘Bapat who visited our state of art seismological observatory confirmed that the blasts were neither caused by an earthquake nor an aftershock,’’ said U K Shinde, in charge of Bhuj Seismological observator on Friday. He said Bapat had studied the earthquake-related data and two graphs that did not record any quake or aftershock during the blasts. He said their Delhi headquarters were contacted soon after the blasts and they too ruled out any connection of the blasts with the destructive movements under the earth’s crust. Bapat, who also visited epicentre of the January 2001 earthquake at Lodia and nearby Dhrung village, before leaving for Saurashtra region on Friday morning, told people that they need not panic, as these mysterious sounds were not from below the earth but from the air. But, Bapat however could not specify as to what elements in the atmosphere caused the sound. ‘‘It may be sonic boom from super-sonic aircraft of the Indian Air Forc, but I can not say anything unless I obtain data from the IAF,’’ Bapat said. He said these could also be aftershocks, but not any major earthquake, the kind this border district experienced four years ago. He said Koyna in Maharashtra which had temblor of 6.5 magnitude in 1969, continues to experience aftershocks even today. So it could happen in Kutch also, he said, adding that these would gradually decrease. He said the border district experienced highest number of such shocks in 2001 (953) followed by 149 in 2002; 51 in 2003; 27 in 2004 and only 4 since January this year. He said his study showed that the quake had affected underground water resources with rivers and other water bodies changing their course of flow.Bhuj Air Force station commander group captain NJF Dhilon when contacted on Friday, however did not rule out the blasts from the sonic boom. ‘‘Such defeaning sounds do occur when super-sonic planes break the sound barrier. But since our aircraft from various bases in the state keep flying, we can not say which plane caused the phenomenon and where,’’ he said. back to sky quake reports Skyquakes Over Union County, Arkansas Big Booms Still Unexplained in Union County February 25, 2005 El Dorado, AR (AP) - Authorities in Union County say they aren't sure what caused sounds that some thought were explosions on Thursday. The booms started between 9:30 a.m. and 10 a.m. Witnesses say the sound rattled windows and got dogs to bark. In the early evening, people complained about more booming sounds. Officials say the sounds could have been caused by a timber company or someone else blowing up beaver dams. back to sky quake reports Small Earthquake Felt in Southeastern Massachusetts (Skyquake?) Alabama - The Associated Press April 06, 2005 A minor earthquake shook southeastern Massachusetts on Tuesday evening, prompting a flood of worried calls to area police departments. The Weston Observatory at Boston College reported the magnitude 2.3 tremor, which struck about 7 p.m. EDT about six miles north of New Bedford, somewhere in Freetown, was felt in nearby communities, including Achushnet, Marion, Mattapoisett, Dartmouth and Rochester. "Most reports we had were of a loud bang," said Dina Smith, the observatory's associate director for operations. She said a quake of that size is big enough to be noticed, but not enough to cause damage. "It sounded like a big truck hitting a big pothole, but it did shake this whole building," New Bedford firefighter Jim Kummer told WCVB-TV. Tracy Tichon of Fairhaven was at her grandmother's house with family when they felt the quake. "We were all standing in the living room and all of a sudden it sounded like a sonic boom. And then the house started to shake," Tichon said. The family joked the noise and vibration could have been an earthquake. Earthquakes in the region are not unusual. Seismologists at Weston Observatory have said that New England averages six noticeable earthquakes a year. back to sky quake reports Strange Wind Gust Hits Home By Jannise Johnson , Staff Writer Ronald Webb said he thought the world was ending for a few seconds Friday afternoon. It wasn't. But the weather phenomenon that caused the racket above the home he shares with his wife on East Alvarado Street caused some damage. Webb's family was working inside the garage at 1:30 p.m. when a "mini tornado' struck an outdoor shelter, he said. "It sounded like a combination of a train, a sonic boom and a clap of thunder,' Webb said. "It was just crazy. It shook the whole house.' Webb said the winds hoisted his cabana shelter made of thick wood planks and steel coverings from one corner of his back yard over his home before letting it crash to the street. The shelter was covering a boat, he said. The shelter was torn to pieces, some of which ended up across the street in a neighbor's front yard. The majority of the debris ended up on Webb's lawn. No one was injured. But one of Webb's vehicles was damaged and the incident left a few holes in his roof, he said. Firefighters arrived, but did not stay long, said John Mancha, inspector with the Los Angeles County Fire Department. While Webb said the F ire Department referred to the event as a "mini tornado, ' a spokesman for the National Weather Service disputed that. "If there are no clouds in the sky, it really can't be classified as a tornado,' said Philip Gonsalves, forecaster for the National Weather Service. There were some gusty winds throughout the area Friday, which may have caused some funnel-type activity, he said. But Gonsalves said he could only speculate what caused the damage. Webb retained his sense of humor about the situation. "It's so much fun,' Webb said, looking out over the debris on his front lawn. "I wondered what I was ging to do this weekend. Now I know.' Jannise Johnson can be reached at (909) 483-9318 or by e-mail jannise.johnson@dailybulletin.com . back to sky quake reports Boom Startles Islanders 04/28/2005 By Carol Glassman Some Marco residents were startled awake by a loud deep, reverberating rumble instead of the annoying buzz of an alarm clock early Monday morning. Police Chief Roger Reinke said, "We heard it plainly here at the station. I checked to see if there was a crash at one of the intersections, and the phone calls came in shortly thereafter. Since we had no reports of damage, I did not think it necessary to invest any resources in determining the cause. A few people came up with the military jets over the gulf (sonic boom) theory. That seems to make the most sense." There has been no further information about the event. ©Marco Island Sun Times 2005 back to sky quake reports MYSTERY SOUND: Was big bang a sonic boom? Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, England January 12, 2006 A MYSTERIOUS big bang which shook a town and villages could have been a sonic boom caused by an aircraft flying too fast, it has been claimed.People across Spalding and as far as Eye, near Peterborough, were left reeling after the boom, which was heard and felt at about 2pm on Thursday, January 12 2006. Today, January 13, the cause of the noise is unclear, although many suspect it was a sonic boom, caused by a jet breaking through the sound barrier. But nobody can give a definite answer to the questions. Stuart Green, a spokesman for the Ministry of Defence, said: "There is a channel for military aircraft off the east of England, and, occasionally, pilots go through it too fast. "RAF pilots go to a lot of trouble not to make sonic bangs, and they don't like it when aircraft from other countries go too fast." David Galloway, assistant seismologist at the British Geological Survey, said: "We have national and regional monitors which would normally trace something like a sonic boom. But I checked for half an hour either side of the time the noise was reported and nothing came up." Inspector Dick Holmes, of Lincolnshire police, said: "We received several telephone calls from concerned members of the public. However, we have no idea what was behind the noise." Although the noise was thought to come from directly over Spalding, it was heard by people living in Thorney and Eye, near Peterborough, and Gedney, near Wisbech. Liz Fowler, a receptionist at the Castle Manor Leisure Centre in Albion Street, Spalding, said: "It sounded like someone had dropped a weight or pushed a machine over. It was a very loud thud. "We rushed upstairs to see what had happened, but of course nothing was wrong. Everyone has been talking about it. Lots of people think it was a sonic boom." Margaret Dark, of London Road, Spalding, said her house shook under the force. She said: "All the birds flew up in the air. I thought maybe a lorry had crashed." But Tony Walsh, RAF Wittering spokesman, said: "I have no idea what might have caused it, but it was not us. "It sounds like a sonic boom, but our harriers don't go fast enough. We have now launched an investigation." And Miriam Adol, spokeswoman for the Ministry of Defence, added: "As far as I am aware, there was no military activity going on which could have been responsible." back to sky quake reports Was it an earthquake? Saturday, February 25, 2006By DARLA L. PICKETT Staff Writer Copyright © 2006 Blethen Maine Newspapers Inc. SKOWHEGAN -- Reports continued to pour in Friday from residents who said they experienced what appeared to be earthquake tremors at about 10 a.m. Thursday morning. Although state officials said no seismic experience was recorded on any of the instruments in Maine or New England, Somerset County's Emergency Management Director Robert Higgins Sr. said he still aims to get to the bottom of the mystery. Higgins said the number and validity of reports received Thursday and Friday -- in addition to similar reports last Friday in Solon -- indicate Thursday's event was significant and not just a sonic boom. "Something was wrong," Higgins said. "What bothers me is that it didn't show up on any of the seismic equipment. Those overseas (jet) flights are up 24,000 to 30,000 feet. That wasn't it. The incidents covered such a large area of such significance, if it didn't show, why didn't it?" On Thursday, at least a dozen residents reported tremors within a 15-mile radius between Anson, Madison, Skowhegan and Norridgewock. On Friday, however, the calls about Thursday's incident came from farther away -- including Winslow, Freedom, Clinton and the Johnson Flats Road near the Burnham-Pittsfield town line. Bill Jefferson, a customs official at Coburn Gore, said he was at his North Pond Road in Winslow on Thursday, working on his computer, when he heard and felt the earth shaking. "My dogs went berserk," Jefferson said. "I've experienced an earthquake before, and this was an earthquake." Lawrence Tilton on Dudley Corner Road is just as sure it wasn't an earthquake. He said he was going to his mailbox Thursday when the earth shook and he saw jets overhead: "It was a sonic boom. Mystery solved." Sheila Gilbert on Johnson Flats Road, said the earth movement "shook my whole home; it rattled the whole trailer." Margaret LaRochelle, of U.S. Route 2 in Norridgewock near My Cousin's Place, said the shaking and thud scared her dogs and her daughter. Bob Poulin, at a mobile home park in Clinton near Galusha's store, said his wind chimes started shaking and he turned on his scanner to see what was happening: "It was quite a shake." Most of the callers said they were glad to read in Friday's Morning Sentinel that they were not alone in their experience. "I heard the noise and I thought it was an accident out front... I'm glad I wasn't the only one," said Victoria Bowring of Clinton. Katherine Waite, an American living in Munich, Germany, wrote in an email that she read the Sentinel article and had an explanation. She said she belongs to an active Web forum that recently discussed "big boom noises." She said some of the members are engineers from the aerospace industry and they said that if military jets are scrambled, they break the sound barrier at a lower altitude than normal, which could cause a sonic boom. Attempts to reach a military official for a response were unsuccessful. back to sky quake reports