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Post by account_disabled on Feb 12, 2024 4:00:14 GMT
Geologists use seismic air guns to detect oil and gas on the ocean floor. The sound they make can exceed the decibel level which is fatal to humans. Noise travels four times faster in water than in air (almost kilometers per second), so it can travel considerable distances. How Noise Kills and Disturbs AC The rumble of a seismic air gun can cause permanent hearing loss, tissue injury and death of nearby animals. In 2019, a single shot of it caused an increase in zooplankton mortality in the Pacific Ocean kilometers off Tasmania's southern coast. The use of sonar has also caused mass strandings of several species of Europe and Botswana Email List East Asia. Examination of the dead animals revealed injuries indicative of decompression sickness (the formation of nitrogen gas bubbles in the blood under high pressure). Scientists believe this was caused by the whale's sharp dive, startled by the noise. The sounds made by large marine mammals have the same low-frequency range as most sounds made by humans. As a result, the roar of ships' engines blocks the signals of many sea dwellers. Noise from shipping led marine mammals to develop a new strategy: They used longer, more repetitive sounds, or waited until the noise level subsided. Due to the constant disturbance, some whales stopped singing completely in the water. How to fix the problem The good news is that negative consequences are avoidable Just suppress the source of the sound.
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