Some large sand dunes can emit mysterious sounds like deep musical notes! This happens when ‘avalanches’ of sand slide down the dunes’ steep sides. Scientists have discovered the sounds are caused by millions of grains of sand just the right size colliding with each other as they move down the dune. The sound is usually a deep note, a bit like the drone of an aeroplane, which can reverberate for miles. The pitch of the note depends on the size of the grains.
Listen to this strange effect, recorded in Morocco, here.
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