The human ear was only designed to hear sounds up to 85 decibels. Anything louder than that can significantly damage hearing. Any sounds that measure above 120 decibels can cause humans some physical pain. There are sounds in the world that are so loud, and they measure over 200 decibels. Imagine the damage that can cause! These are the five most booming measured sounds that are known to humankind.

  • The Tunguska Event

In 1908, just above the Podkamennaya Tunguska River in what is now Russia, something exploded in the atmosphere. It is believed to be either an asteroid or comet that never actually reached Earth; it only exploded in the air right above Earth.  At the time, it was a tough area to reach, and there were wild speculations about what might have happened. It is estimated that the sound was so loud, it measured at over 300 decibels.

  • A 5.0 measurement earthquake

An earthquake that measures at 5.0 on the Richter scale has a decibel rating of 235. A 6.0 earthquake is ten times as powerful as this, and an earthquake with a 7.0 on the Richter scale is 100 times as powerful as that! One of the most powerful earthquakes in recent history was the 2010 earthquake in Haiti, which had a magnitude measurement of 7.0 on the moment magnitude scale, which was developed as a succession to the Richter scale.

  • A one-ton bomb

A one-ton bomb has a decibel rating of 210 from 250 feet away. This is way above the 120 measurements that can cause hearing damage. If you are standing this close to the bomb, not only would your hearing be damaged without proper protection, but you could die because the vibrations that will occur from the sound of the volcano will be so intense.

  • Volcanic eruptions

Volcanic eruptions are also some of the loudest sounds on earth. In 1883, the Krakatau volcano erupted and created one of the loudest recorded sounds, measuring at 180 decibels. The Krakatau island volcano is located along the Indonesian arc, right between Sumatra and Java, islands that are also home to many other volcanoes. The eruption was so loud that it was heard in Perth, Australia, which is 1,930 miles away from the explosion and on Rodriguez Island, which is more than 3,000 miles away from the original site of the bombing!

  • Blue whales

Another one of the loudest sounds on earth in the world is the sound of the blue whale! These creatures make low-frequency rumbling sounds that can be heard underwater many miles from where the whale is making the noise. Their sounds have been measured at up to 188 decibels. They make these noises to communicate with other whales and often use them as a mating call. In addition to being the loudest animal on earth and creating one of the loudest sounds, in general, the blue whale is also the largest animal.

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