Lectures on Physics has been derived from Benjamin Crowell's Light and Matter series of free introductory textbooks on physics. See the editorial for more information....

Whale songs traveling long distances

Sound waves travel at drastically different speeds through rock, water, and air. Whale songs are thus strongly reflected at both the bottom and the surface. The sound waves can travel hundreds of miles, bouncing repeatedly between the bottom and the surface, and still be detectable. Sadly, noise pollution from ships has nearly shut down this cetacean version of the internet.




Last Update: 2009-06-21