News Physics

Why even small sonic booms are more annoying in cities

Tall buildings and narrow streets convert the shock waves into noise that lingers for several seconds

Concorde supersonic jet

Supersonic passenger jets that make quieter sonic booms than this discontinued Concorde may be on the horizon. The future aircraft could still be annoying if they break the sound barrier over cities.

Eduard Marmet/Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)

By James R. Riordon

- More than 2 years ago

Sonic booms can be particularly annoying in cities, where tall buildings and narrow streets boost noise levels and cause the noise to linger, new research shows.