North Carolina’s Seneca Guns: the Myth and Observation

Abstract:

The colloquially named 'Seneca Guns' are booming sounds reported in North Carolina coastal areas, as yet unverified by scientific observation. These events rattle windows and shake homes, causing considerable alarm among residential communities. A variety of sources have been proposed, ranging from natural causes (e.g., ocean processes, bolides, or lightning) to military or otherwise human activity. Our research utilized IRIS infrasound and seismic data from stations in the southeast, as well as anecdotal public accounts of the Seneca Guns, described by local news media and residents of the area. We found correlations of media reports of booming and associated ground-shaking in the Cape Fear region with recorded infrasound and seismo-acoustic ground coupled data from nearby stations on the N4 and TA networks. Some instances of unexplained booming sounds were recorded with high S/N ratio at several North Carolina stations. Applying ECMWF atmospheric models, we are using acoustic ray tracing and waveform modeling to estimate source location and timing. The low acoustic velocities make it challenging to properly associate arrivals at distances of hundreds of kilometers. We expect this investigation will aid in determining a reasonable explanation for the Seneca Guns’ existence, and perhaps put an end to speculative myths and uncorroborated stories associated with the phenomena.