Tucson loud booming/earth shaking

[John G]

http://www.kgun9.com/global/story.asp?s=11652667

Loud noise, possibly sonic boom stirs up Tucson residents

Posted: Dec 9, 2009 08:50 PM MST

Updated: Dec 10, 2009 09:14 AM MST


Written by: Brian Pryor

The KGUN9 newsroom has been flooded with viewers calling in a loud booming noise and windows shaking just after 8 p.m. Wednesday night.

Calls came in from viewers all over the Tucson area, we made calls to Davis Monthan AFB who said they have no aircraft airborne from the base capable of that speed.

A call was made to the Tucson International Airport control tower, they say no aircraft in their airspace are capable of reaching the speed needed to cause the sound.

Our news desk also made a call to the Albuquerque Center who referred us to Luke Air Force Base we are currently calling the base to discover the cause of the blast.

Captain Gonzales, a spokesman with Luke Air Force Base tells KGUN9 that they did have aircraft in the training area southwest of Tucson. He said that regulations allow them to conduct supersonic flight but he could not confirm whether Luke aircraft were the cause of the noise.

Gonzales added that the cooler weather can at times cause an inversion if aircraft do operate at supersonic speeds causing the boom to be louder and extend its range.

– jojo0321
Re: Loud noise. My son and friend were out hiking in Saguaro National Monument at the time of the "boom". They were looking at the stars and saw no plane and said that the earth also shook. Possible small earthquake?
Yesterday, 11:39:00 PM

or something else (which also wasn't seen)?

edit: more from http://www.kold.com/Global/story.asp?S=11652536#

The first reports were from the southwest side (Tucson Estates) and the Catalina Foothills [Northeast] at around 10:25AM. Again, at around 8:10PM more reports came in, this time from the near northwest side around Flowing Wells and Roger.

Jane
Let me clarify what I said. When I have heard planes scramble, both at Pease Air Force Base in NH and 1 time here, the sonic boom was very sudden and loud. The sounds I heard today, seemed to roll over the area. They created a rumbling and shaking in my home. It seemed more like large explosions rather than sonic booms. I could be wrong.
Yesterday, 10:26:46 PM

Jane
I, along with others felt and heard a very lound and rumbling noise over the Tucson area. I am not convinced it was a sonic boom. I have been an air force brat for a number of years, and this did not sound like a sonic boom today. It was very rumbling instead. I have heard planes scramble on several occaisions in my life, and they were very harsh and sudden. I guess if I had to postulate, it could have been just outside our area, but I doubt it could have been from Phoenix. Very strange.
Yesterday, 10:18:11 PM

Melinda
Yes, seismic. NO, sonic. You missed the boat on this one Chuck...see the link to show the seismic activity in Tucson today that correlates to the noise and tremors. Wish I could still watch you guys...and gals...digital wiped me out. http://aslwww.cr.usgs.gov/Seismic_Data/telemetry_data/TUC_24hr.html
Yesterday, 10:02:51 PM

MW
confirmed data. Melinda is correct.
Yesterday, 10:11:09 PM

melina
Also happened tonight around 805 and 810pm here in the Green Valley and Sahuarita [southwest] area.
Yesterday, 9:47:21 PM

Gil
Maybe Santa was doing a test run. I had shaking windows and doors at 8:05 in the west mountains
Yesterday, 9:15:56 PM

Adam 10
Out here in Continental Ranch too.....thought it was something that dropped on the roof. Guess I was wrong.
Yesterday, 9:01:18 PM

S Covington
Near Tanque Verde/Catalina Hwy [Northeast]. heard it around 8:10pm also.
Yesterday, 8:45:58 PM

Sergeant
Heard three loud reports that shook house just after 8PM in the Thornydale & Linda Vista [North Central]. It sounded like a sonic boom...
Yesterday, 8:42:44 PM

 

[durabone]

That seismic trace shows seismic activity for 20-30 minutes. That's pretty long.

Tucson, 32°13'N, 110°58'W

NCEDC reports:

Your search parameters are:
start_time=2009/12/09,00:00:00
end_time=2009/12/11,00:00:00
minimum_latitude=30
maximum_latitude=38
minimum_longitude=-120
maximum_longitude=-105
minimum_magnitude=1.0
maximum_magnitude=10
etype=E
rflag=A,F,H,I
system=selected
format=ncread
Date Time Lat Lon Depth Mag Magt Nst Gap Clo RMS SRC Event ID
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2009/12/09 10:31:19.52 37.3755 -117.7373 5.12 1.82 Md 19 218 48 0.18 NCSN 71319995
2009/12/09 15:22:29.68 37.1962 -119.6802 5.44 1.20 Md 6 169 21 0.01 NCSN 71320070
2009/12/09 15:32:19.51 37.2368 -119.8288 18.44 1.51 Md 6 142 15 0.02 NCSN 71320075
2009/12/10 02:48:37.26 36.3100 -119.7382 17.79 2.08 Md 41 135 32 0.20 NCSN 71320365
2009/12/10 03:35:01.10 37.4162 -118.5322 8.06 2.54 Md 44 42 8 0.07 NCSN 71320385
2009/12/10 03:47:02.36 37.4063 -118.5267 5.43 1.20 Mh 8 132 7 0.04 NCSN 71320390
2009/12/10 03:54:32.11 37.4212 -118.5390 6.00 1.62 Md 33 56 8 0.07 NCSN 71320395
2009/12/10 08:28:47.50 37.4182 -118.5368 6.94 1.64 Md 22 56 8 0.07 NCSN 71320450
2009/12/10 11:31:30.50 37.6673 -118.9058 1.47 2.28 Md 18 99 1 0.05 NCSN 71320505
2009/12/10 13:21:00.42 37.6668 -118.9067 1.34 2.25 Md 37 31 1 0.07 NCSN 71320570
2009/12/10 17:08:37.67 37.4082 -118.4478 7.47 2.78 Md 43 62 3 0.06 NCSN 71320640
2009/12/10 17:15:30.19 37.9498 -118.5932 6.05 1.00 Md 5 144 4 0.08 NCSN 71320645

or not even close. Did I do that right?