Loud "Boom" Rocks Portland - March 28, 2010 8:05pm PST

PORTLAND - At about 8:05 p.m. Sunday, a loud "boom" reverberated across the Portland area.

9-1-1 centers got calls from Clackamas County to Vancouver, from people wondering what had happened. The 9-1-1 operators, and many others, were wondering that themselves.

Source


Another report:

Authorities still don't know cause of Southeast Portland boom

Portland authorities have no idea what caused the Sunday night boom that shook a number of residents' homes in Southeast Portland about 8:05 p.m. It was the second mysterious explosion-like sound to hit the area in two weeks.

Many calls came in from the Sellwood neighborhood, but residents from Happy Valley to the Hillsdale area also reported hearing the ruckus, according to dispatchers from Multnomah and Clackamas counties.

Portland Fire and Rescue sent several crews out, according to spokesman Justin de Ruyter, but "nobody could find anything." Portland Fire contacted the airport, but no causes were found there, Ruyter said.

[edit on 3/29/2010 by UberL33t]

Well if you've become familiar with the Earthquake threads here on ATS this is not a good sign for Oregon. If I recall from my reading of these threads, these "booms" are usually a precursor. Right?

Everytime I'm in Portland I see the ANG flying around like crazy, I think that might be your answer. If they are going supersonic, they might admit, and they might not, but I'd call them suspect number one!

Earthquake Booms, Seneca Guns, and Other Sounds

Earthquake "booms" have been reported for a long time, and they tend to occur more in the Northeastern US and along the East Coast. Of course, most "booms" that people hear or experience are actually some type of cultural noise, such as some type of explosion, a large vehicle going by, or sometimes a sonic boom, but there have been many reports of "booms" that cannot be explained by man-made sources. No one knows for sure, but scientists speculate that these "booms" are probably small shallow earthquakes that are too small to be recorded, but large enough to be felt by people nearby.

As it turns out....there are many factors that contribute to the "sound' that an earthquake makes. To begin to understand these factors we have to understand the different types of waves, the speed they travel through the earth, and the speed that sound travels through the air. See this easy to understand, detailed explanation.

Perhaps the best way to understand earthquake sounds are from an actual experiment that took place back in the 80's in California by David Hill. Dr. Hill's team recorded sounds that came out of the earth (from nearby small earthquakes between magnitude 2.0 and 3.0) and simultaneously measured the arrival of the P wave on a seismograph. Researchers also reported hearing a sound before the S waves were recorded; this turned out to be the arrival of the P wave. See this Alaska Science Forum article entitled "Earthquake Waves Outrace Sound" for a description of that experiment.

Source

If you're in that area of Oregon, may be wise to brace for impact for the next few days or weeks, couldn't hurt. If I am not mistaken there have been a few earthquake swarms in Oregon just recently.

The description seems to describe a sonic boom. If the sound was heard from Happy Valley to Hillsdale, then a supersonic aircraft flying across the area would explain the wide area the sound covered. If it were a ground based source, any sound heard in Sellwood & Hillsdale would be a massive explosion, which this sound obviously is not (otherwise there would be blown out windows, structures, fire, smoke, etc.)

Now the next question is why did the military have aircraft flying supersonic over populated areas? Was there an alert? Any UFO sightings?

Or maybe it was the shockwave of a meteorite entering the atmosphere? It was very dark and cloudy and raining in Portland last night.

[edit on 29-3-2010 by harrytuttle]

reply to post by harrytuttle


Not sure, just the messenger, and being that these "boom" sounds are seemingly becoming a regular event as of late I just figured I would throw out a possible cause. However I don't discount anything as a sonic boom is just as probable as anything else at this point.

reply to post by UberL33t
The article does say (as do you) that last week there was a similar boom. So that rules out a meteorite, which leaves only a military aircraft traveling at supersonic speed.

I'm curious though, so you think that it might be a sound tied to seismic activity? How would the ground make a sound with out causing an earth quake?

reply to post by harrytuttle

How would the ground make a sound with out causing an earth quake?

From the article above:

Currently a mystery to seismologists, a powerful explosion sound which eludes detection by the best of seismographs

Good question!

Didn't we have an issue a few weeks ago where there was a similar (an unidentified) boom in Louisiana? Wonder if this related?

reply to post by rogerstigers


Not sure, but I can say that I am seeing more & more reports of these booms lately, although they seem to only be generating local buzz. There was a report of one of these booms in my area as well a couple weeks ago, but barely got a mention on one of the local news channels...

Mysterious boom confounds Pasco residents

Something is happening

I live near Happy Valley and I didn't hear anything unusual. My television however, was all screwy. I noticed at around 8pm actually (The Simpsons was coming on @ 8pm!) that I had little to no reception on channels that normally come in excellent.

I attributed this to the very dense and dark cloud cover over the area (that had no accompanying rainfall until this morning in my neck of the woods), which in and of itself seemed a little unusual. I am used to seeing dark storm clouds in Oregon, but this cloud cover was exceptionally dark and almost smothering.

Just reporting from the area, hope it helps!

Local news is saying that it was probably a *pipe bomb*

Unsworth went on to explain that it was a large pipe bomb which had been "embedded" in the hill at Powers Marine Park, just south of the Sellwood Bridge, on the west side of river. Unsworth said the low clouds trapped the sound in, and caused it to bounce across city.

"Investigators did locate evidence of a large pipe bomb this morning in Powers Marine Park that appears to have been detonated. Investigators believe that the sound was amplified in an easterly direction because of its placement near the bank and river and due to the low cloud cover," added detective Mary Wheat, with the Portland Police Bureau. Link

[edit on 29-3-2010 by LadySkadi]

reply to post by LadySkadi


I just love these explanations they come up with, sad part is they had allll day to come up with disinfo, and this is what they decided on? Fair enough, pipe bomb it is.

Early morning when it was raining yesterday I was awoke by a large BOOM, kind of like a cracking of lightning. The surprising thing is that I only heard just that one boom and no other thunder or lightning noises(the rain wasn't a thunderstorm). The whole thing has been suspect to me so maybe it was just a sonic boom using the rain as a cover to make it seem like lightning striking or something. Even though it was daytime, there STILL would have been a flash.
--

I second the possibility of special craft being tested though I mainly agree with the EARTHQUAKE possibility as that is the most reasonable. I suggest you make precautions to protect you and your family just in case a large earthquake DOES occur.

EDIT:
In reply to the "pipe bomb" message I believe that sounds totally bogus. OH the "pipebomb noise went EASTERLYY~!". Maybe the BOOM I heard was the craft making a return trip? MAN this is the reason why we are on ATS, to make connections like this!!

[edit on 3/30/2010 by TheBloodRed]

Originally posted by harrytuttle
reply to post by UberL33t

 

The article does say (as do you) that last week there was a similar boom. So that rules out a meteorite, which leaves only a military aircraft traveling at supersonic speed.

I'm curious though, so you think that it might be a sound tied to seismic activity? How would the ground make a sound with out causing an earth quake?

An ELF pulse?

There was a 4.2 in the Queen Charlotte Islands (British Columbia north of Washington) yesterday... maybe disturbances in the area are causing displacement on a larger scale?

The whole Pacific Northwest is wayyyyy overdue for some serious seismic event. This is a well established scientific fact.

A portion of the population may be more sensitive to extra low frequencies, which may rule out a "super sonic burst" from a plane.

curious....

These sonic booms seem to be happening a lot and in many places.

NOVEMBER 17th, 2009 - Military Says Sonic Boom's Source Over Mississippi Still A Mystery
NOVEMBER 30th, 2009 - Mysterious Explosion Rocks Ontario
DECEMBER 1st, 2009 - Sonic Boom/Tremors In South Carolina Not An Earthquake
DECEMBER 1st, 2009 - Sonic Boom/Tremors Reported In The UK
DECEMBER 2nd, 2009 - Large Unexplained Blast Shatters Windows In West Virginia
DECEMBER 3rd, 2009 - Sonic Boom and Rumbling Reported In Australia
DECEMBER 3rd, 2009 - Pressure Wave Shakes Up The UK Again
DECEMBER 7th, 2009 - Loud Noise Shatters Glass In Tularosa Mexico
DECEMBER 9th, 2009 - Sonic Boom Shakes Tucson Arizona
JANUARY 6th, 2010 - Colorado Bar's Roof Explodes - Search For Meteorite Is On
JANUARY 14th, 2010 - FOX News flooded With Calls After Sonic Boom (s?) in New Mexico
JANUARY 18th, 2010 - Police Respond to Unexplained Explosion Over El Dorado Kansas

Originally posted by muons200
These sonic booms seem to be happening a lot and in many places.

NOVEMBER 17th, 2009 - Military Says Sonic Boom's Source Over Mississippi Still A Mystery
NOVEMBER 30th, 2009 - Mysterious Explosion Rocks Ontario
DECEMBER 1st, 2009 - Sonic Boom/Tremors In South Carolina Not An Earthquake
DECEMBER 1st, 2009 - Sonic Boom/Tremors Reported In The UK
DECEMBER 2nd, 2009 - Large Unexplained Blast Shatters Windows In West Virginia
DECEMBER 3rd, 2009 - Sonic Boom and Rumbling Reported In Australia
DECEMBER 3rd, 2009 - Pressure Wave Shakes Up The UK Again
DECEMBER 7th, 2009 - Loud Noise Shatters Glass In Tularosa Mexico
DECEMBER 9th, 2009 - Sonic Boom Shakes Tucson Arizona
JANUARY 6th, 2010 - Colorado Bar's Roof Explodes - Search For Meteorite Is On
JANUARY 14th, 2010 - FOX News flooded With Calls After Sonic Boom (s?) in New Mexico
JANUARY 18th, 2010 - Police Respond to Unexplained Explosion Over El Dorado Kansas

Don't forget: 3-9-2010 Mystery Explosion in North Louisiana

Originally posted by treemanx
I live near Happy Valley and I didn't hear anything unusual. My television however, was all screwy. I noticed at around 8pm actually (The Simpsons was coming on @ 8pm!) that I had little to no reception on channels that normally come in excellent.

Weird! I live in the Hawthorne area, and I had problems with my tv too, around the same time as the boom. But I didn't connect the two.

My husband even commented on the boom, when it happened. I has assumed it was a very loud traffic noise, but he was outside and said it sounded bigger and further away.

edited to add: Our local news said that the authorities used a google map that people had reported the noise to, to pinpoint the cause. Here is the article

Here is the map: PDX BOOM!


[edit on 30-3-2010 by AmethystSD]

[edit on 30-3-2010 by AmethystSD]

Originally posted by UberL33t

PORTLAND - At about 8:05 p.m. Sunday, a loud "boom" reverberated across the Portland area.

9-1-1 centers got calls from Clackamas County to Vancouver, from people wondering what had happened. The 9-1-1 operators, and many others, were wondering that themselves.

Source


Another report:

Authorities still don't know cause of Southeast Portland boom

Portland authorities have no idea what caused the Sunday night boom that shook a number of residents' homes in Southeast Portland about 8:05 p.m. It was the second mysterious explosion-like sound to hit the area in two weeks.

Many calls came in from the Sellwood neighborhood, but residents from Happy Valley to the Hillsdale area also reported hearing the ruckus, according to dispatchers from Multnomah and Clackamas counties.

Portland Fire and Rescue sent several crews out, according to spokesman Justin de Ruyter, but "nobody could find anything." Portland Fire contacted the airport, but no causes were found there, Ruyter said.

[edit on 3/29/2010 by UberL33t]

i live in Oregon, it was a big plastic pipe bomb it was all over the news. at least that's what they claim it was..

Has anyone noticed anything unusual about the sky when these booms were heard? (i.e. noctilucent clouds at night, or them rainbow looking clouds that have been often reported above imminent earthquake locations?) I don't suppose noctilucent clouds can cause lightening way up there, resulting in those boom sounds?

What I've been interested in learning more about is the increase and more southernly appearing noctilucent clouds. They seem to be increasing as more of the polar ice keeps melting and adding more moisture to our environment. Those are the clouds to fear, for they can rain (or snow) down upon you for 40 days and 40 nights. I've seen noctilucent clouds from as far south as central Minnesota during the last few years, something I've never seen here before.

And then we have the potential for weather changes due to that last quake in Chili that tilted the Earth and set her to wobbling for a while. Could that result in stress side effects all around the planet? Have you seen any of those recent long exposure photographs of the night sky where the stars sweep across your photo like groves in a record? Recent photos such as those after that Chili quake reveal bumps in them star paths as they sweep across your photos .. which means that, unless the camera was bumped while the shutter was open .. then the Earth must have bumped!

Also, has it been raining more than usual in Oregon? Any extra rain we've been getting can drain down into fractures on the surface of earth and result in loosening of faults, resulting in more quakes. But those booms weren't tied to a quake, were they.

I suppose too it could be some militia group testing their lastest WMD, ha.

Interesting mystery.