energy of auroral sounds

[jan lameer]

Hi

There is a question that has been pinballing in my brain for a few weeks now. Perhaps with the combined intellectual force of AKM members we can solve it.

O.K., the question is: what is the sound energy of audible auroral sound, if it indeed exists.

To answer it, we need an estimate of the sound level in decibels, I think for this the unit is dB(A)
The level is not very high, perhaps 5 - 20 dB(A)

Then, how to transfer this to energy amount per cubic meter and after that to amount of energy for the entire region where aurora is happening. (Area = 500 x 100 kilometers, height = 10 kilometers ?)

And then compare this to the 100 GW average input during a major storm.

Just theoretical, but I don't have enough knowledge to solve it.

[Bernd]

Hi Jan,

as far as I know, aurora sounds were described as some kind of creaking. As this is not a typical far-away-sound, I would assume that some objects nearby start to vibrate in reciprocity with the aurora (how should that work?). Than you can hear the sound only at the bottom an must not climb 10 kilometers into the atmosphere, when calculating the energy amount.

Also just theoretical,

Bernd

> Hi

> There is a question that has been pinballing in my brain for a
> few weeks now. Perhaps with the combined intellectual force of
> AKM members we can solve it.

> O.K., the question is: what is the sound energy of audible
> auroral sound, if it indeed exists.

> To answer it, we need an estimate of the sound level in
> decibels, I think for this the unit is dB(A)
> The level is not very high, perhaps 5 - 20 dB(A)

> Then, how to transfer this to energy amount per cubic meter and
> after that to amount of energy for the entire region where
> aurora is happening. (Area = 500 x 100 kilometers, height = 10
> kilometers ?)

> And then compare this to the 100 GW average input during a major
> storm.

> Just theoretical, but I don't have enough knowledge to solve it.

[jan lameer]

Hi Bernd

Indeed that crossed my mind after writing the message, that it might be a surface phenomenon. When indeed for instance dry grass or needles of pine trees discharge static electricity, then the calculation is no good anymore because you don't know for how much time the charging has been going on. Might be the same process of a camera flash that first need to charge high voltage before it fires.
I wonder whether sharks, that have electric receptors in their heads, see/hear aurora.