Science - Physics and forces - Ice acoustics - Lakes - Natural sounds - Sound propagation
You are walking across a completely frozen lake. Suddenly, deep metallic noises echo through the ice, almost like laser blasts in a science-fiction film. What causes these eerie sounds?
Correct!
As the temperature changes, ice contracts or expands. This creates stresses that can suddenly send cracks through the ice sheet. The resulting sound waves travel over great distances and may resemble thunder, metallic booming or futuristic laser noises.
Especially clear, thin ice can produce very high, almost electronic tones. The sound alone does not automatically mean that the ice is breaking, but it also cannot be used to judge whether the ice is safe to bear weight.
Source: NCAR & UCAR
