Mysterious noises, often compared to rolling thunder or distant cannon fire, are frequently heard off the Cape Fear coast and the Myrtle Beach area. Although reported regularly at points up and down the Eastern Seaboard, Seneca guns seem particularly concentrated off the Carolinas.
To date, no satisfactory scientific explanation for the phenomenon has been found.
The name “Seneca Guns” seems to come from Seneca Lake in upstate New York, where the sounds are often heard. In 1850, James Fenimore Cooper (author of “Last of the Mohicans”) wrote a story, “The Lake Gun,” describing the phenomenon, which seems to have popularized the term. (An alternate explanation, linking “Seneca Guns” to an obscure Civil War battle in Seneca, Ga., seems dubious.)
The sounds are heard in coastal areas; observers insist they are never heard at sea. In 2005 and 2008, residents in Brunswick County reported they were loud enough to rattle windows and shake houses. In December 2001, a Seneca gun event prompted more than 100 calls to New Hanover County authorities. No serious damage, however, has ever been attributed to a Seneca gun.
Some Seneca gun events are attributed to military jets breaking the sound barrier, but the phenomenon has been reported in this area periodically since at least the 1850s, well before the air age. Southport historian Susie Carson insisted that the noises are most common in fall, although reports have been logged at all times of the year.
In 2005, Tyler Clark, chief geologist with the N.C. Geological Survey, guessed that the most likely cause for Seneca guns would be shallow earthquakes occurring offshore. The problem, according to the U.S. Geological Survey, is that many Seneca gun reports cannot be connected to quakes detected by seismographs. Seneca gun-like noises were reported, however, in connection with the Charleston, S.C., earthquake of 1886.
Peter Malin, a seismologist formerly with Duke University, speculates that the “guns” are somehow atmospheric in origin; his experience suggests the vibrations come from above ground level, rather than below. In the summer of 2001, Malin installed a seismograph in a 1,300-foot bore hole near the Fort Fisher State Historic Site, in an effort to detect mini-quakes; the project was never properly funded, though, and Malin was never able to record any results.
The “guns” seem connected to similar phenomena heard in different parts of the world, such as the “Barisal guns” in parts of India and Bangladesh, the “uminari” of Japan and the “mistpouffers” on the coast of the Netherlands and Belgium.
Explanations as exotic as UFOs and the angry ghosts of Indians have been put forward.
The U.S. Geological Survey Web site rules out a few causes: Tidal waves (none reported in connection with Seneca guns), lightning (Seneca guns often occur during clear skies in fair weather), shifts in tectonic plates (the nearest plate boundaries to Southeastern North Carolina are hundreds of miles away, in the mid-Atlantic and Caribbean), loud meteors called bolides (might explain some but not all of the guns), landslides off the continental shelf (none reported during recorded history), sink holes forming (not enough limestone deposits in the area, although plenty of sink holes occur near Boiling Spring Lakes in Brunswick County), cold air meeting warm Gulf Stream air (no explanation for how this could cause booming noises) or pockets of air, trapped underground being released (such seepage rarely makes a sound).
Several people have suggested that the noises may be caused by the release of bubbles of methane; deposits of methane clathrate hydrate are known to occur in the area. Again, however, methane seepage does not usually cause a noise, and it does not come up in large enough quantities to cause explosions.
Residents feel a shake, but geologist says it wasn’t an earthquake
Have you heard the area’s mysterious booms recently? Tell us where you were (and see the map)
Date posted: April 10, 2009
Regarding the Seneca Guns
Hi
I’m a resident of Southport, and Boiling Spring lakes, NC.
I have often heard the Seneca Guns down here.
On one occasion back in the early 90′s i was working at the local Firestone garage in Southport.
There at the garage, we had 3 large bay doors that we had closed due to the cooling weather. On that particular day we got hit with the Seneca Guns, three in a row. I remember seeing the doors literally move in and out due to the pressure of the wave. I realized then it was an atmospheric phenomena, literally a giant pressure wave.
I have also noticed when they hit, it is almost always a day when the humidity is relatively low for that time of year.
Anyway thank you for the article. I enjoyed reading it.
Regards,
David peacock
Through all of my correspondance with the USGS over the years.. there are many things that can can cause the “sonic like booms” that we encounter.. ex: warm front meets cold front, vice versa, military aircraft breaking sound barrier, miltary ships off of the coast doing exercises, ground breaking for landscaping, just to name the most obvious few. However over the past 10 years.. there has never been military breaking sound barrier.. or sudden and I do mean sudden temperature changes that have influenced such a thing.. it has also happened day and night. I have spoken with them on many an occasion about the likely hood of us feeling tremors from nearby earthquakes in South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia and none of those panned out either.. because there were none. I have even dove into the topic of the Continental Shelf breaking off in large landslides.. but such a thing would also cause a tidal wave and no one at the beach has reported any such anomalie… this does happen in many places around the world from the New England States to Florida and I believe even in India. They had said it was sounds of Indians defending their land ie Seneca Guns.. Ghosts defending their land.. I have even been told that it is an echo of guns that continues to circle the earth.. by one USGS representative.., unfortunately.. I believe it is signs of something yet to happen that has not been investigated deep enough yet and I have requested OBS’s (Ocean Bottom Seismometer) to be placed off of our coasts, but they have declined saying the ones they have, are currently placed off the west coast and around the ring of fire near Alaska… So… again. here we sit.. Now I have heard many people come up the with same conclusion that we are probably about to drop into the center of the Earth in a massive sink hole.. so I inquired about that.. and Sinkholes only happen in Limestone and we do not have Limestone in these areas.. Anybodies guess is as good as mine.. The only reason I know about them is because I am writing about them.. To add many years ago.. there was a Siesmologist who had Siesmographs positioned at Ft. Fisher due to the occurences.. but the funding just wasnt there to keep them in our location.. so.. what a bummer.. we still have no answers. uggggh..
I can remember as early in 1978, my dad run the boatyard at Southport Marina, the widows would rattle. I heard it myself many many times. Dad (Dick Harrman). . Said it was a ghost ship off the shore shooting cannons. It was a nice story anyway.
I felt a large one yesterday (11-5-2010) in Kure Beach around 2:15pm, large enough to rattle the front door and just felt another smaller one today (11-6-2010) around 10:10am, much smaller than yesterdays but still noticeable, then a smaller rumble around 10:20. I was just Googling to try and find out what it was and stumbled upon this article. Interesting phenomenon for sure.
Whatever this is it shook my house yesterday around 2 pm and today at 10 am. My windows rattled doors opened. I live off of river road close to Carolina beach nc. I would just like answers. I did call the earthquake center but had to leave a msg. We will see.
We heard (or felt…always hard to say after it happens!) the two yesterday morning as well. A couple of years ago, my kids and I had just entered our empty home on a clear, sunny autumn afternoon and heard/felt one. It was so loud, it sounded as if someone was stomping around on our second floor. Reminded me of an earthquake, but the floor under our feet wasn’t moving. We left the house as we thought there might be a very noisy intruder, and went over to our neighbor’s home, who had experienced it as well. We re-entered the house and of course it was all clear. I did a little research and learned about our coastal Carolina Seneca guns. Yesterday morning, it once again sounded like someone was jumping around upstairs. My teenagers were sleeping in, and I thought one of them had fallen out of bed. They really appreciated my checking to see if they were ok…. (not). Interesting to find this write up; one of my other neighbors, from Virginia, is also interested and mystified. So while we still don’t know the cause of these Seneca guns, at least we know they don’t seem to cause any harm….. unless you’re a sleepy teenager with a helicopter mom.
My wife and I were at Kure Beach the weekend of 11-5 and 11-6 to do some fishing. When I say that nothing was biting, I mean NOTHING ===not even skates. The odd single whiting, no spots, no blues, no nothing. We were told that the commercial fishing boats came back in empty.
The proposed cause was Seneca’s Guns. Several people stated they heard and felt a vibration strong enough to rattle windows both Friday and Saturday but these experiences were away from the beach. Out on the pier at 10am Saturday, we neither heard nor felt anything but apparenlty there was yet another episode. We were told that it was the result of boulders breaking off the continental shelf and falling to the bottom, which sets off seismic waves which grow in intensity as they approach the coast–and it was these waves which scares the fish off. Something made the fish leave.
Re Senica gund
My Allen ancesters who lived on Allens creek in Brunswic co sqaid the sound of cannons were heard in 1716 and thereafter were because the pirates were fighting over mermaids who dried their hair on Mermaid point which is on the west end of Oak Island. They are still fighting today.
Mike Watson
This same thing happened in Little River, SC 11/17/2010.
Just at a very large scale. I wrote this story to Brian with Star News.
Approx 11:00am this morning, 11/17/2010 a very large “explosion” was felt in Little River SC. Large as in, it shook our 4 story condo building like it weighed nothing. Others came out of other buildings seperate of ours and talked as if it felt thier buildings had been picked up and slammed back down. After going throughout the neighborhood checking on others we called 911. They was unsure of cause but had been receiving calls as far south as North Myrtle Beach. We went further into our neighborhood, blocks away, and heard all the same story throughout the neighborhood. This was violent. Not a subtle movement at all. Absolutely violent. I was a Combat Engineer in the Army, and what I felt this morning would far exceed anything I have felt explosion wise. I have lived in Alaska and felt many minor earthquakes, this FAR exceeded that. This began and ended I would say in 3-4 seconds. But it was massive.
This was way too big not to have a explanation. No Way!
I have wrote all news sources in this area. NOTHING. Something this big, and no news story attached???? I am not buying the “just something freaky” excuse.
I just experienced this for the first time about a half an hour ago. There was a distant boom sound and my entire house shook. It rattled the stove. I had no idea what it was until others reported the same thing on their Facebook statuses calling it “seneca guns” Very interesting phenomenon.
This is very interesting. I have heard them repetedly all day today and a few yesterday. Was just trying to figure out what it was and i found this. It really does sound just like distant thunder or in the case of the one that just happened an explosion and it shook the house. I have to say they are a little scarry at first, not knowing what they are and it rattleing the house. However, i feel like i almost pay no attention to it anymore being used to it, it is facinating though. I remember one years ago that did not rattle the house, the house shook i swear i thought it was a small earthquake. very odd they are. anyway thanks for the artical.
Loud one yesterday at around 10:30 am in Southport/St James, and another one this morning around 10:00am.
The StarNews is attempting to track when and where the booms and shakes are happening. Please click on this link to fill out a simple survey: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/P6M3B87
Once we have enough results, we’ll create a map and share the results with everyone.
Thanks.
Does anyone out there have camera surveillance with sound that we could take a look at? I’d like to see/hear this phenomenon.
Ive been in the southport/oak island area for around 18 years and have always been mystified by these booms but of course never been giving a scientific explanation. I too have seem to gotten used to them and dont even really pay them attention anymore other than knowing we’ve been hit again. Its nice to see so many people talking about and looking into this….maybe one day we will get an answer. But its seems like lately these booms have been coming a lot more frequently sometimes a couple a day and hitting every couple or every day. It seems like it use to be a random event with long periods in between but its really picked up lately and has got me wondering whats causing the increase in frequency.
Have you ever noticed that there are two types of Seneca Guns. I live on Holden Beach and you can actually tell the difference. The first one is a downward compression, almost like a concussion from and explosion, ( usually accompanied by the sound of jets in a distance) and the ground moving big boomers. I have watched the house move up and down in a wave pattern. I love when they guns start booming and first time visitors are at the beach.They all look like deer in headlights.
I don’t know what causes them or why, but The Guns keep life interesting.
My wife and I live near Figure 8 island. Yesterday, Nov 25 2011, the Seneca Guns started at about 7:30 pm and continued for at least 20-30 minutes. We felt nothing. It had the sound of distant artillery with some booms louder than others…but with a continuing rumble. ps..I was an artillery officer in Vietnam. We’ve heard this numerous times and I always wonder if, this time, it is the ammo depot going up in smoke.
yesterday Nov 8th 2011 i felt a small shaking and boom in Calabash NC, last night a large one hit shaking the house ad a large boom. last nights was also reported online by WECT from wilimnington nc.
i lived here about 6 years and felt these about 10 times before i read about seneca guns.
Two very violent booms around 11:50 this morning on Oak Island, possibly the loudest guns I’ve heard since moving to the area 6 years ago
Today, around 10 am, there were two loud booms heard in St. James. The booms were coming from the direction of Oak Island.
Feb. 28, 2012
On the morning of February 28, 2012, I was on the phone with someone on Wrightsville Beach. I live near Bradley Creek. I felt a good 5 second shake where my windows rattled. About 3 seconds after l started feeling the shake, and before I mentioned what was happening, the person on the phone felt it as well. It seemed to last a little longer on the beach.
I have felt these things ever since I moved to Wilmington in 1990. A bit of scientific curiosity about this might be nice at some time. For now, I guess the tale of the Seneca Guns will have to do.
The Blake Ridge off the coast of the Carolinas is one of the largest methane hydrate fields on earth. It’s basically natural gas under so much pressure it has solidified into crystals. Minute seismic activity or temperature fluctuations have the potential to cause these crystals to sublimate–become gas and rise to the surface. Anyone who dives knows that rapidly rising gas bubbles expand, water gets displaced, the bubbles rupture at the surface—to put it simply, the sea farts.
Seneca gun phenomena have been reported in areas of methane hydrate fields the world over.
Here’s the hilarious part: there’s a scientific theory gaining wide acceptance that the largest extinction of life ever to occur on earth was caused by warming seas releasing vast amounts of methane from such hydrate fields, which a) drastically reduced air quality so that life suffocated and b) snowballed in that the hotter it got, the more methane was released, making it hotter, meaning more methane was released… This was the Permian extinction, which killed 99% of all species. The beginnings of this scenario have already been observed by scientists in the Russian tundra. That is, methane hydrates are being released into the air.
Most of the research being conducted on the Blake Ridge deposit is geared toward “harnessing” the fuel for profit, not to continue life on earth.
May 23, 2012 @ Holden Beach between 9:00 and10:00 am.
We have heard and felt several significant rumbles.
The mysterious guns are in our area again once again, Brunswick County, North Carolina. Twice this week. February 28,2013 and today March 3, 2013. The sound and vibration shook the windows on our house
I am surprised that there have been no government funded research into the cause of these loud booms. I’ve lived at Kure Beach for 10 years and myself as well as others I know can attest that these loud atmospheric booms capable of ratteling windows do occur. I’ve heard them on at least 5 occasions, both in the daytime and at night. On almost all occasions the weather was seasonable and the skies were clear of clouds.
I live in the middle Georgia area and have heard these booms for many years. Had 2 last week that shook the house. I attribute most of them to sonic booms. But when they are back to back and 3 or 4 in a row makes one wonder. Loud enough to be heard across the county and strong enough to shake the house and rattle windows. We located 30 miles south of the Georgia coastal fall line, so that could have something to do with it.
Interesting. I heard on in Charlotte on a pretty afternoon in the early 1980s — the newspaper could find no explanation. It’s a frequent phenomenon here in Southeastern North Carolina.
The guns you hear are the pirates Steed Bonnet and Blackbeard fighting off our coast. Mike Watson