Deserts and their surprising secrets

Chapter 1

The green Sahara

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Chapter 2

The mystery of singing dunes

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Chapter 3

Master class in desert survival

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Chapter 4

Hidden waters and ancient engineering

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YOUR GOAL

Master of Deserts and their surprising secrets

Ch 2 · The mystery of singing dunes

misslily The Gobi's whistling sands

misslily Singing dunes of the Namib

misslily Acoustic ingredients for desert music

misslily The physics of a desert boom

Sahara Songbox

misslily Sahara Songbox

misslily Hear them hum, hear them hum / That sliding sand is a cello strum.

The Gobi's whistling sands

misslily The Gobi's whistling sands

Fun Fact

Singing sand frequency: Most singing dunes hum at a low frequency of about 450 hertz, which sounds remarkably like a cello's low G-note.

Singing dunes of the Namib

misslily Singing dunes of the Namib

Glossary

singing sand (noun)
Sand that emits a musical or humming sound when disturbed by wind or human footsteps. In 2005, physicist Bruno Andreotti analyzed this acoustic phenomenon among the shifting dunes of Morocco.

Quiz

Near which ancient Silk Road city in China can you visit the famous Mingsha Shan 'Singing Sand Dunes'?

Gossip

What does a singing sand dune sound like to you?

Quiz

What acoustic instrument does the low-frequency drone of a singing sand dune sound most like?

Quiz

Which famous historical explorer wrote about hearing ghostly spirits singing in the sands of the Gobi Desert?

Quiz

What is the scientific term for the synchronized vibration of sand grains that amplifies the dune's sound?

Quiz

In which country are the booming dunes of the Namib Desert primarily located?

Quiz

What specific physical trait must sand grains possess to produce a singing sound?

Quiz

Why will a singing sand dune stop singing if the weather becomes humid or rainy?

Quiz

What physical event triggers the musical hum or boom of a singing sand dune?