What makes ringing rocks ring

Bonta further states that the rocks that do not ring either lack sufficient amounts of iron or are wedged too tightly between other rocks. Other scientists support the idea that the sounds are a product of differing stress levels within the rocks. However, this explanation does not justify why individual rocks still ring in the laboratory when taken from their natural location.

Scientist Nick Reiter, after conducting his own experiments at the boulder field, agrees with the majority of proposed reasons. He elaborates, though, that no single explanation can be held as the ultimate rationale. Reiter notes that the rocks are not hollow, they are not magnetic, and they rest at points on other boulders. Furthermore, he discovered that the size of the boulder does not show a direct relationship to the frequency emitted.

Although many theories exist to help shed light on the science behind Ringing Rocks, no definitive conclusion has been reached, leaving a cloud of mystery over the park. Researchers still cannot explain why none of the rocks in the adjoining forest produce any such ringing sound. Why plant and animal life seems to avoid the surface of the boulder field is another perplexing anomaly. Perhaps the warm rays of the sun create a surface temperature that is too hot to handle.

Additionally, the ten-foot depth of the boulder field does not provide a hospitable environment for plant life to grow.

Nonetheless, Reiter noticed on his trip to Ringing Rocks that absolutely no birds flew over the field. Ringing Rocks Park is a destination for scientists, thrill-seekers, and families.

Multitudes of tourists visit the boulder field to expand their scientific knowledge or to learn about geology. Others arrive at the park prepared to study the paranormal and supernatural.

In fact, the image of children and adults running around with hammers in hand is quite unique. The rich history and rare musical quality contained in these boulders makes Ringing Rocks Park a timeless destination for Bucks County sightseers. The Center wishes to thank David Hanauer for his assistance in illustrating this article. This compression seems to account for the ringing sound. It has been observed that rocks that are broken or severely weathered no longer ring, an observation that also seems to point to internal stress in the rocks as the reason for the sound.

Curtis Nolley, 64, of Harrisonburg, Va. John Ott of Pleasant Valley, Pennsylvania, presented a musical performance using the ringing rocks found at Stony Garden. He enlisted the help of a friend, William J. Buck, to build a lithophone, a musical instrument made using approximately pounds of ringing rocks. The audience members noted that the lithophone produced a loud, clear bell-like sound that complemented the brass band. As long as guests are not destructive, they are welcome to ring the rocks themselves to experience the unique geological phenomenon for themselves.

Share On Facebook. To get there, start in Easton, PA, and go south along Rt. Continue until the intersection with Rt. Take Rt. Look for Ringing Rocks Park. In a geologist named Richard Faas from Lafayette College in nearby Easton, Pennsylvania, took a few of the rocks back to his lab for testing.

He found that when the rocks were struck they created a series of tones at frequencies lower than the human ear can hear. Only because the tones interact with each other is a sound high pitched enough to be audible generated. Though Faas's experiments with the rocks explained the nature of the tones he was unable to figure out the specific physical mechanism in the rock that made them, though scientists suspect it has something to do with stress within the rocks.

Some have asserted supernatural claims for the rocks and the field in which they are found. They note that little vegetation and animal life including insects inhabit the area.

This is not surprising, though, as the boulder field, which is some ten feet thick and seven acres in size, is hotter than the surrounding forest and provides little food or shelter. Claims have been made that compasses don't work there, but attempts to see if the area has any unusual properties, beyond the rocks themselves, such as high background radiation, abnormal magnetic fields, or strange electromagnetic activity, have yielded nothing.

Hit Some Virtual Rocks! Low - Medium - High - Higher. People have known about the Bucks County site for some time.