scholarly journals African Elephants Respond to Distant Playbacks of Low-Frequency Conspecific Calls

1991 ◽  
Vol 157 (1) ◽  
pp. 35-46 ◽  
Author(s):  
WILLIAM R. LANGBAUER ◽  
KATHARINE B. PAYNE ◽  
RUSSELL A. CHARIF ◽  
LISA RAPAPORT ◽  
FERREL OSBORN
Keyword(s):  
National Park ◽  
Sound Pressure ◽  
Low Frequency ◽  
Pressure Level ◽  
Playback Experiments ◽  
African Elephants ◽  
Very Low Frequency ◽  
Audio Recordings ◽  
Video And Audio ◽  
Free Ranging

We conducted 58 playback experiments with free-ranging African elephants in Etosha National Park, Namibia, to estimate the distance over which some of their low-frequency calls are audible to other elephants. We broadcast pre-recorded elephant calls to elephants that were 1.2 and 2.0 km from the speaker while making simultaneous video and audio recordings of their behavior. In order to reduce the risk of habituation, we used a variety of call types as stimuli. Elephants responded to playbacks at both 1.2 and 2.0 km, with a full response consisting of the elephant vocalizing, lifting and spreading its ears, remaining motionless in this position (‘freezing’), moving the head from side to side (‘scanning’) and, in the case of males responding to female estrous calls, orienting to and finally walking 1 km or more towards the loudspeaker. We analyzed our data quantitatively for three of these responses. The occurrence of each behavior increased substantially immediately after playbacks. Owing to limitations of the loudspeaker, we were only able to broadcast calls at half the sound pressure level (i.e. −6dB) of the strongest calls we have recorded. Since sound at the frequencies of these calls is predicted to suffer from little, if any, attenuation in excess of that caused by spherical spreading, we estimate these calls to be audible to elephants at least 4 km from the source (twice the distance over which we documented responses). These results are consistent with the hypothesis that the very low-frequency calls of elephants function in communication between individuals and groups of elephants separated by distances of several kilometers.

Effects of Very Low Frequency Tones on Auditory Thresholds

1966 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 150-160 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Jerger ◽  
B. Alford ◽  
A. Coats ◽  
B. French
Keyword(s):  
Adverse Effects ◽  
Sound Pressure ◽  
Human Subjects ◽  
Low Frequency ◽  
Pressure Level ◽  
Variable Speed ◽  
Frequency Range ◽  
Auditory Thresholds ◽  
Very Low Frequency ◽  
Piston Cylinder

Nineteen human subjects were exposed to repeated three-minute tones in the sound pressure level range from 119 to 144 dB and the frequency range from 2–22 cps. The tones were produced in an acoustic test booth by a piston-cylinder arrangement, driven by a variable speed direct current motor. Eight subjects showed no adverse effects. Temporary threshold shifts (TTS) of 10 to 22 dB in the frequency range from 3 000 to 8 000 cps were observed in the remaining 11 subjects. In addition, the 7 and 12 cps signals produced considerable masking over the frequency range from 100 to 4 000 cps.

Gyro Rock Crusher and Asphalt Plant Sound Power Levels

2012 ◽  
Author(s):  
Henry A. Scarton ◽  
Kyle R. Wilt
Keyword(s):  
Sound Pressure Level ◽  
Sound Pressure ◽  
Low Frequency ◽  
Pressure Level ◽  
Sound Power ◽  
Far Field ◽  
Atmospheric Attenuation ◽  
Frequency Sound ◽  
Sound Pressure Levels ◽  
Rock Crusher

Sound power levels including the distribution into octaves from a large 149 kW (200 horsepower) gyro rock crusher and separate asphalt plant are presented. These NIST-traceable data are needed for estimating sound pressure levels at large distances (such as occurs on adjoining property to a quarry) where atmospheric attenuation may be significant for the higher frequencies. Included are examples of the computed A-weighted sound pressure levels at a distance from the source, including atmospheric attenuation. Substantial low-frequency sound power levels are noted which are greatly reduced in the far-field A-weighted sound pressure level calculations.

scholarly journals Noise-silencing technology for upright venting pipe jet noise

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (8) ◽  
pp. 168781401879481 ◽  
Author(s):  
Enbin Liu ◽  
Shanbi Peng ◽  
Tiaowei Yang
Keyword(s):  
Natural Gas ◽  
Sound Pressure Level ◽  
Sound Pressure ◽  
Low Frequency ◽  
Jet Noise ◽  
Pressure Level ◽  
Living Environment ◽  
Frequency Noise ◽  
Frequency Range ◽  
Expansion Chamber

When a natural gas transmission and distribution station performs a planned or emergency venting operation, the jet noise produced by the natural gas venting pipe can have an intensity as high as 110 dB, thereby severely affecting the production and living environment. Jet noise produced by venting pipes is a type of aerodynamic noise. This study investigates the mechanism that produces the jet noise and the radiative characteristics of jet noise using a computational fluid dynamics method that combines large eddy simulation with the Ffowcs Williams–Hawkings acoustic analogy theory. The analysis results show that the sound pressure level of jet noise is relatively high, with a maximum level of 115 dB in the low-frequency range (0–1000 Hz), and the sound pressure level is approximately the average level in the frequency range of 1000–4000 Hz. In addition, the maximum and average sound pressure levels of the noise at the same monitoring point both slightly decrease, and the frequency of the occurrence of a maximum sound pressure level decreases as the Mach number at the outlet of the venting pipe increases. An increase in the flow rate can result in a shift from low-frequency to high-frequency noise. Subsequently, this study includes a design of an expansion-chamber muffler that reduces the jet noise produced by venting pipes and an analysis of its effectiveness in reducing noise. The results show that the expansion-chamber muffler designed in this study can effectively reduce jet noise by 10–40 dB and, thus, achieve effective noise prevention and control.

scholarly journals Development of an on-site system for measuring the low-frequency noise and complainant’s responses

2018 ◽  
Vol 37 (2) ◽  
pp. 373-384
Author(s):  
Hiroshi Sato ◽  
Jongkwan Ryu ◽  
Kenji Kurakata
Keyword(s):  
Time Trends ◽  
Sound Pressure ◽  
Low Frequency ◽  
Dominant Frequency ◽  
Pressure Level ◽  
Frequency Noise ◽  
Low Frequency Noise ◽  
Measurement Results ◽  
Frequency Components ◽  
The Relationship

An on-site system for measuring low-frequency noise and complainant's responses to the low-frequency noise was developed to confirm whether the complainant suffer from the environmental noise with low-frequency components. The system suggests several methods to find the dominant frequency and major sound pressure level spectrum of the noise causing annoyance. This method can also yield a quantified relationship (correlation coefficient and percentage of response to the noise) between physical noise properties and the complainant’s responses. The advantage of this system is that it can easily find the relationship between the complainant’s response to the acoustic event of the houses and the physical characteristics of the low-frequency noise, such as the time trends and frequency characteristics. This paper describes the developed system and provides an example of the measurement results.

The Effect of Fluctuations on the Perception of Low Frequency Sound

2007 ◽  
Vol 26 (2) ◽  
pp. 81-89 ◽  
Author(s):  
A T Moorhouse ◽  
D C Waddington ◽  
M D Adams
Keyword(s):  
Laboratory Tests ◽  
Sound Pressure ◽  
Hearing Threshold ◽  
Low Frequency ◽  
Fast Response ◽  
Pressure Level ◽  
Rate Of Change ◽  
Frequency Noise ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Method Of Adjustment

Results of laboratory tests are presented in which 18 subjects, including some low frequency noise sufferers, were presented with low frequency sounds with varying degrees of fluctuation. Thresholds of acceptability were obtained for each sound and each subject, using the method of adjustment. These thresholds were then normalised to individual low frequency hearing threshold. It was found that sufferers tend to set thresholds of acceptability closer to their hearing threshold than other subject groups. Also, acceptability thresholds were set on average 5dB lower for fluctuating sounds. It is proposed that a sound should be considered fluctuating when the difference between L10 and L90 exceeds 5dB, and when the rate of change of the ‘Fast’ response sound pressure level exceeds 10dB/s

Evaluation of Aerodynamic Infrasound Radiating From Upwind and Downwind HAWTs

2012 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adrian Sescu ◽  
Abdollah A. Afjeh
Keyword(s):  
Flow Field ◽  
Wind Turbine ◽  
Sound Pressure ◽  
Low Frequency ◽  
Pressure Level ◽  
Frequency Noise ◽  
Far Field ◽  
Acoustic Analogy ◽  
Horizontal Axis Wind Turbines ◽  
Tower Shadow

A Computational Fluid Dynamics tool is used to determine the detailed flow field developing around two-blade horizontal axis wind turbines (HAWT) in downwind and upwind configurations. The resulting flow field around the wind turbine is used to evaluate the low-frequency noise radiating to the far-field, using an acoustic analogy method. The influence of the variation of wind velocity and rotational speed of the rotor to the sound pressure level is analyzed. This paper shows that the tower shadow effect of a downwind configuration wind turbine generates higher aerodynamic infrasound when compared to a corresponding upwind configuration. For validation, a comparison between numerical results and experimental data consisting of sound pressure levels measured from a two-blade downwind configuration wind turbine is presented.

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