Solving the mystery of booming sand dunes

摘要: Desert booming can be heard after a natural slumping event or during sand avalanche generated by humans sliding down the slip face of large dune. The sound is remarkable because it is composed one dominant audible frequency (70 to 105 Hz) plus several higher harmonics. This study challenges earlier reports that dunes’ frequency function average grain size by demonstrating through extensive field measurements that the frequency results from waveguide associated with fixed by depth surficial layer dry loose is sandwiched between two regions compressional body wave velocity. This letter presents of the frequencies, compressional velocities, depth layer, along an analytical prediction of based on constructive interference of propagating waves avalanching dune surface.