In movies, sometimes the character will put an ear to the ground and then hear people moving a long ways away example.
Does this actually work in the wild at all or is it just insufficient for anything short of a horde of orcs herd of buffalo?
asked Aug 2, 2018 at 14:05
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2Related at Skeptics Do trackers hold their ears to the ground?– James JenkinsAug 2, 2018 at 16:43
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"Put your ear to the ground because that way you will eliminate the acoustic impedance mismatch and thus get a better sound transfer" It only works when listening for a massive herd of Buffalo (which you tend to feel before you see anyways) or listening for incoming trails on railroad tracks.– ShemSegerAug 2, 2018 at 21:01
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1It does work for railroad tracks. I remember trying this as a kid. I'm really skeptical that it is useful for hearing distant animals thru the ground.– Olin LathropOct 1, 2018 at 11:11
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... but do make sure it's not a high-speed railroad track!– cbeleites unhappy with SXDec 27, 2018 at 1:27
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1 Answer
If there is a herd of buffalo you will hear them sooner by listening at the ground, then in the air.
BUT only if there is lot of them, making a large impact. A single animal or even a few is unlikely to have enough energy to transfer sound any distance in the earth.
In a solid, the particles are even closer together and linked by chemical bonds so the wave travels even faster than it does in either liquid or air, but you need quite a lot of energy to start the wave at the beginning. source (sciencelearn.org)
Related sister site question Do trackers hold their ears to the ground?
answered Dec 19, 2018 at 18:59
