Bloop
- This article is about the underwater sound. For the programming language, see BlooP programming language.
The Bloop is the name given to an ultra-low frequency underwater sound detected several times during the summer of 1997. The source of the sound remains unknown.
Analysis
The sound, traced to somewhere around 50°S 100°W / 50°S 100°W (South American south west coast), was detected by the Equatorial Pacific Ocean autonomous hydrophone array which uses U.S. Navy equipment originally designed to detect Soviet submarines, matches the audio profile of a living creature. There is no known animal that could have produced the sound, however, and if it is an animal it would have to be huge - much larger than even a whale, according to scientists who have studied the phenomenon.
Some postulate that the sound may come from a huge and as-yet undiscovered species of octopus or squid. Others dispute this, pointing out that no known species of cephalopod have the physiology that could produce this type of sound. To date there has been no explanation for what it is, exactly, that could have produced the sound and most seem unwilling to rule anything completely out.
References in popular culture
The electronic band Dntel produced a song entitled "Pillowcase," composed of the Bloop recording.
See also
External links
- Tuning in to a deep sea monster CNN, June 13, 2002
- "Bloop" NOAA Vents Program for Acoustic Monitoring. Has a link to a wav file of the (sped up) sound, as well as a spectrogram.