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Scientists Probe Seneca Lake’s Mysterious Booming Sounds

Scientists from Cornell University, the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry, and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation have conducted field research to investigate unusual features and sounds in Seneca Lake. The lake’s bed has large, pockmarked depressions and has produced unexplained booming sounds known as the "Seneca Drums."

In September, the research team used a boat to sample water from both inside and outside the pockmarks, checking for methane that might explain the pockmarks and the drum-like sounds. While methane was found in the water, its levels were similar in all areas of the lake. This finding suggests that the pockmarks are not continuously releasing gas.

Professor Jed Sparks from Cornell University explained that the scientists now think the gas is released in short, episodic bursts. A bubble of gas may form in the sediment and then rise rapidly, increasing in size—approximately 40 times larger—as it reaches the surface. The expansion of the bubble could create the booming sounds when it pops, though the source of the gas remains unclear.

Sparks, who specializes in stable isotope analysis, noted that his techniques can distinguish methane produced by organisms in the sediment from methane originating in fossil gas deposits beneath the lake bed. Fossil gas from the shales under the lake is considered a possible source, as the low oxygen levels in the sediments limit the production of other gases.

Further details on the research can be found through Cornell University's news release.

Source: Cornell University

Source Type: College

Source Location: Ithaca

Dec 26, 2025 at 8:30 AM

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