Norwich: 'Sonic boom' heard on home surveillance system

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A large bang has been reported in parts of Weymouth, Dorset and Somerset with people claiming houses were shaking. But what is a sonic boom?

Reports of an explosion surfaced on social media today. 

Residents across Dorset, Weymouth, Somerset and surrounding areas reported a tremor shook the ground after a loud bang was heard.

Many people have suggested it was an earthquake, however others believe it was an explosion or sonic boom.

One Twitter user wrote: “Massive bang over #Dorchester around 20 minutes ago. Any sound nerds know what it is? #Dorset.”

Another added: “Heard on #Portland and in #Weymouth. Lasted about 10 seconds. Any ideas?”

One person wrote: “Out for a walk stood on top of a hill in Somerset, huge sonic boom, no sign or noise of a jet. RAF?”

Another said: “Heard it here in Portland, Dorset. Yeah, I reckon sonic boom, but no one seems to know.”

One social media user tweeted: “Thought that was an earthquake (in Dorset) just before 3pm. Suggestions are a sonic boom or meteorite breaking up.”

What is a sonic boom?

A sonic boom is a loud noise which many describe as sounding like an explosion.

This phenomenon is caused by the shock waves created when an object travels through the air faster than the speed of sound.

Sonic booms create huge amounts of sound energy and are common as an object moves through the air, building pressure waves ahead and behind it.

These sounds happen because of large supersonic aircraft can be particularly loud and startling, tend to awaken people, and may cause minor damage to some structures. 

The sound heard on the ground as a “sonic boom” is the sudden onset and release of pressure after the buildup by the shock wave or “peak overpressure.”

The change in pressure caused by sonic boom is only a few pounds per square foot, which is equivalent to the same pressure change experienced on an elevator as it descends two or three floors, but in a much shorter time period.

This is the magnitude of this peak overpressure which describes a sonic boom.

There are two types of sonic booms: N-waves and U-waves.

The former is generated from steady flight conditions and its pressure waves are shaped like the letter N.

These waves have a front shock to a positive peak overpressure, caused by a linear decrease in pressure until the rear shock returns to ambient pressure.

The latter U-waves are focused booms which are generated at the front and rear, shaped like the letter U.

These are created when the peak overpressure are increased compared to N-waves.

The strongest sonic boom ever recorded was 7,000 Pascal (144 pounds per square feet).

It did not cause injury to the researchers who were exposed to it.

The boom was produced by an F4 flying just above the speed of sound at an altitude of 30m.

In recent tests, the maximum boom measured during more realistic flight conditions was 1,010 Pascal (21 pounds per square feet).

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