Researchers Find Some Volcanoes 'Scream' At Increasing Pitches Until They Blow 59
vinces99 writes "Swarms of small earthquakes often precede a volcanic eruption. They can reach such rapid succession that they create a "harmonic tremor" that resembles sound made by some musical instruments. A new analysis of an eruption sequence at Alaska's Redoubt Volcano in March 2009 shows the harmonic tremor glided to substantially higher frequencies and then stopped abruptly just before six of the eruptions. Scientists at the U.S. Geological Survey's Alaska Volcano Observatory have dubbed the highest-frequency harmonic tremor at Redoubt Volcano 'the screams' because the episodes reach such high pitch compared with a 1-to-5 hertz starting point. Alicia Hotovec-Ellis, a University of Washington doctoral student in Earth and space sciences and an author of two papers examining the phenomenon, has created a 10-second recording and a one-minute recording that provides a 60-times faster representation of harmonic tremor and small earthquakes."
Even so (Score:4, Funny)
I bet the volcano's still have better pitch control than Justin Beiber.
Re:Makes sense, fluid dynamics and all that... (Score:2, Funny)
More like normal farts at normal frequencies and intervals. Then, suddenly you are attacked by frequent small, higher pitched flatus, while you fast walk with clenched buttocks to the closest toilet. As the intervals become shorter and the frequencies become higher still, you know it is moments before the disaster.
You all know what I'm talking about.
I'm not a lactose bigot or anything, I try to be tolerant but even so I can only take so much dairy.
Re:Makes sense, fluid dynamics and all that... (Score:5, Funny)