A mysterious humming driving people to despair across Auckland has pricked the ears, and curiosity, of scientists trying to find the source.
Massey University computer engineering scientists Tom Moir and Fakhrul Alam have been contacted by more than 30 people, most in Auckland and the North Shore, who claim to have heard a humming noise.
Humming noise symptoms
People from central Auckland to Kaiwaka in Northland have reported the sound, as have residents from the North Shore suburbs of Torbay, Browns Bay, Murrays Bay, Birkenhead and Beach Haven, and Stanmore Bay on Whangaparaoa.
The symptoms are similar to those suffered by people with tinnitus, commonly associated with a prolonged high-frequency ringing in the ear. The scientists are visiting people who can hear the humming, and trying to measure the noise in the hope they will be able to identify its source. The founder, patron and counsellor of the New Zealand Tinnitus Association, Joan Saunders, said some of the people who contacted Dr Moir did have tinnitus, but not all of them.
Scientific Research
The scientists are measuring the frequency by playing a second low frequency to someone who can hear the humming. When the person can no longer hear the hum, the frequency they are playing is the same as the humming noise. Dr Moir said people could definitely hear a sound. “It’s quite serious to them, it’s driving them bonkers. I was there at the same time and I couldn’t hear anything.” He said the sound was well within the average hearing range for people. Most people can hear between 20 hertz and 20 kilohertz and the humming is around 56 hertz, according to Dr Moir’s research. Not everyone could hear the sound, because of its low volume, he said.
Book
Author Rachel McAlpine based her 2005 novel “Humming
Yes my partner and I hear it in Murrays Bay, the loudest at around 5am but has on occasion been loud enough to keep us up at night. Definitely annoying
I’ve been hearing this low resonating hum for 2 years in Gulf Harbour Whangaparaoa. It’s especially noticeable at present during the covid19 lockdown.
Any earthquakes around? Or any planes chemtrailing around? Do you know others hearing the weird noises? Maybe it’s the hum: https://strangesounds.org/the-hum
Funny you say that, I did see on Facebook photos of planes in Auckland leaving trails recently, the sound does seem louder.
I did think one possible cause of it being louder during the lockdown was the boats backed up in the harbor causing it
I hear this in whangarei. It’s 2019 now. What is this noise.
Hi Guys, the hum is not as loud in Green Bay as it is in Capricorn place Glen Eden west Auckland. My parents live in Massey a stones throw from Galony Ave. From least to greatest intensity I would say Glen Eden Capricorn place is the loudest, followed by Don Buck Road Massey and then Halcombe place Green Bay. The hum I refer to is a low consistent never changing or stopping frequency which some can hear and other can not. For those that can hear the sound, for a portion of that group the sound does not bother them. In my case however I find that it disrupts my sleep. If I could locate the source I would also find out who and why?
[…] I am living in Massey, West Auckland. I can hear it all the time. It’s killing me. I thought it’s one of electrinoic appliances. However, after I turned off power, water, gas and even called Vector to investigate the network, the sound still exists. I went to neighbours’ house and surround areas, I can all hear the humming sound. I went to one of my friends’ new house in Hobsonville point, also can hear. The Auckland Hum […]
I am living in Massey, West Auckland. I can hear it all the time. It’s killing me.
I thought it’s one of electrinoic appliances. However, after I turned off power, water, gas and even called Vector to investigate the network, the sound still exists. I went to neighbours’ house and surround areas, I can all hear the humming sound. I went to one of my friends’ new house in Hobsonville point, also can hear.
Glen Eden Capricorn place. if anyone doubts that the hum is real come to Capricorn place in Green Bay west Auckland where you will hear the hum night and day non stop. At night when traffic noise dies down it’s very very clear. Everyone here hears it but not everywhere here is disturbed by it unlike myself. I find that the Hum disturbs my sleep and also my heart rhythm.
Yes it is really an annoying unexplained phenomenon. Thank you!
At about 4 40 pm today I heard a very peculiar noise in the air, it sounded like thousands and thousands of birds all chirping at once. It was very intense and I couldn’t identify what it was or any central point of the sound. Seemed to just be in the air…Waikato New zealand