Oceanologists at the University of Liverpool have discovered that the Caribbean Sea is whistling. It is so loud that you can "hear" the fluctuations of the Earth's gravitational field. But this sound is far below the human-audible range.
The Caribbean Sea is part of the Atlantic Ocean. Its area is 2,754,000 square meters. km. It washes South America, Central America and the Caribbean.
Caribbean sea map. Photo: Wikimedia Commons The numbers indicate: 1. Gulf of Honduras 2. Mosquito Bay 3. Gulf of Darien 4. Gulf of Venezuela 5. Lake Maracaibo 6. Guacanayabo 7. Gonave Bay 8. Trinidad Island 9. Cayman Islands
The researchers analyzed sea level and seabed pressure measurements using four models of ocean activity from 1958 to 2013.
They discovered a phenomenon called the Rossby Whistle. It occurs when the Rossby Wave (a large wave traveling westward) interacts with the sea bed.
The wave dies down at the western edge of the sea and reappears in the eastern part of the basin (the so-called Rossby wormhole). Only waves of a certain length pass through this process. These waves are amplified and create cyclical vibrations every 120 days. They are so strong that they change the Earth's gravitational field, which can be measured by satellites.
The pitch of this whistle is A-flat, but this sound is much lower than the human-audible range.
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Hear the Rossby whistle
“You can compare the ocean activity in the Caribbean with a whistle. When you blow into the scroll, the air currents become unstable and create a resonating sound wave. Since the whistle is open, sound is emitted, so you hear it,”says Professor Chris Hughes of the University of Liverpool.
Likewise, the ocean current through the Caribbean Sea becomes unstable and creates an unusual phenomenon called the Rossby Wave. Since the Caribbean Sea is partially open, there is an exchange of waters with the rest of the ocean. As a result, we “hear” resonance during gravimetric measurements.
This phenomenon changes sea level by 10 cm near the coasts of Venezuela and Colombia. Therefore, it can be used to predict the likelihood of coastal flooding.
The Caribbean Sea makes a strange whistling sound
Photo: public domain
Even a small rise in sea level increases the risk of flooding in the Colombian city of Barranquilla. A level rise of only 20 cm causes flooding.
According to scientists, the "Rossby whistle" affects the entire North Atlantic, because it regulates the flows in the Guiana Current, which generates the Gulf Stream - an important mechanism of the oceanic climate.