Mystery Booms & Skyquakes — 2015 Timeline of Unexplained Loud Booms

What was that boom? If a thunderless blast shook your windows and rattled your bones in 2015, you weren’t alone. Residents around the world reported unexplained loud booms—often described as skyquakes—that set off car alarms, sent pets into hiding, and left officials scrambling for answers.

What causes “mystery booms”?

• Icequakes (frost quakes) during rapid freeze/thaw
• Shallow earthquakes and rock fracturing
• Meteors & sonic booms (fireballs, fast jets/rockets)
• Military training / EOD detonations
• Industrial incidents (implosions, plant explosions)
• Coastal surf impacts & rare booming dunes
• Less common: gas releases/clathrates, unknown

How to tell what you heard

• Windows rattle + no thunder + clear sky: sonic boom or industrial blast likely.
• Series of cracks during deep cold: icequakes.
• Single jolt + felt quake on USGS/EMSC: earthquake boom.

Methodology: We prioritize official advisories (military bases, EOD), USGS/NWS data, local outlets, and verifiable user videos. When uncertain, we clearly mark reports as unconfirmed.

Loud Booms — December 2015

• Dec 17 — Kamloops, BC (Canada): A M3.6 quake delivered a sharp earthquake boom felt across the city. CBC
• Dec 13 — Verviers (Belgium): A powerful explosion destroyed a building; cause initially unknown. RT
• Dec 7 — East Kilbride (UK): Residents reported three loud booms around 8:15 p.m.; source unclear. Facebook
• Dec 7–11 — Northern Neck, VA (USA): Recurrent booms & rumbles linked to the Potomac River Test Range.
• Dec 7 — Worldwide: NASA advanced “quiet supersonic” research toward softer booms for future jets. Yahoo News
• Dec 6 — Newtown, VA (USA): Four night booms rattled neighborhoods. Reddit
• Dec 5 — Around Fort Devens, MA (USA): Loud booms reported across nearby towns; likely training-related. Forum
• Dec 1 — Arcata, CA (USA): A pre-dawn unexplained boom jolted the West Side. Lost Coast Outpost

↑ Back to top · Next: Nov

Loud Booms — November 2015

• Loud Booming Noises Compilation. Strange Sounds
• Nov 28 — Schuylkill County, PA (USA): Mystery booms shook residents; officials probed blasting/meteor possibilities. WNEP
• Nov 28 — Eastern Ontario (Canada): Reports of an earthquake boom followed a small tremor. Forum
• Nov 27 — Chengdu (China): A sonic boom baffled residents; jet activity suspected. SCMP
• Nov 26 — Chicago area, IL (USA): Boons & shaking possibly from exploding targets (tannerite). NBC Chicago
• Nov 25 — New Madrid County, MO (USA): 12 small quakes in 24 hours; locals heard thunder-like booms. Strange Sounds
• Nov 23 — Petersburg, AK (USA): Town awakened by a mysterious booming noise. KFSK
• Nov 23 — Washington County, OR (USA): Unexplained explosion reported; cause not immediately found. The Spectrum
• Nov 20 — Germany: A widely heard loud bang triggered a police response; no immediate clues. Facebook
• Nov 19 — Midwest & South (USA): An enormous fireball exploded overhead, producing a loud blast from IL/IN/KY to AL/WV/TN. Strange Sounds
• Nov 18 — Halmstad (Sweden): A rare quake near Gothenburg produced a loud rumble. The Local
• Nov 16 — Fushun (China): Chemical plant blast reported with a massive boom. RT
• Nov 16 — North Alabama (USA): Redstone Arsenal testing confirmed after community booms. WHNT
• Nov 9 — Kent (UK): Sonic boom startled villages near Ashford. Kent Online
• Nov 8 — Salton Sea, CA (USA): A woman filmed a huge desert explosion; same evening featured a weird SoCal sky light. Strange Sounds
• Nov 7 — Oakville, ON (Canada): A second loud boom was heard citywide. Inside Halton
• Nov 6 — SE France: A minor quake produced noticeable rumbling. The Local
• Nov 3 — Brezno (Slovakia): M3.2 quake with a thunder-like blast. Slovak Spectator
• Nov 1 — Southern Maine (USA): Unexplained explosions shook Kennebunk, Kennebunkport, and Arundel. Bangor Daily News

↑ Back to top · Next: Oct

Loud Booms — October 2015

• Oct 31 — Poland: A Taurid fireball produced sonic booms across the region. TVN24
• Oct 3 — Eureka, CA (USA): A huge explosion-like boom shook a neighborhood. Lost Coast Outpost
• Oct 1 — Sudbury (Canada): Earthquake booms accompanied two distinct quakes. CBC
• Oct 1 — Kennebunk/Kennebunkport (USA): Mystery booming continued through coastal Maine. Press Herald

↑ Back to top · Next: Sep

Loud Booms — September 2015

• Sept 28 — Dahlgren Range (USA): Range testing produced audible booms & rumbles.
• Sept 27 — Oregon Hill, VA & Worcester Co., MD (USA): Power outages + booms reported the same night. OregonHill.net
• Sept 22 — VA & MD (USA): Mystery booms & shaking remained unexplained along the coast. Delmarva Now
• Sept 18 — Oliver, BC (Canada): A new loud boom echoed across town. Strange Sounds
• Sept 16 — Foscoe, NC (USA): Police training booms triggered confusion and calls. WataugaRoads
• Sept 12 — Hawaii (USA): Army exercises rattled neighborhoods with repeated booms. Reddit
• Sept 9 — Jackson, WY (USA): Boisterous fireworks drew neighbor complaints. News&Guide
• Sept 8 — Clover, SC (USA): Deputies probed a mysterious weekend explosion. WBTV
• Sept 7 — Panama: An M5.0 quake produced an audible boom.
• Sept 4 — Bingöl (Turkey): A giant fireball exploded with loud booms. Strange Sounds
• Sept 3 — Mossyrock, WA (USA): Two jolts/booms reported with minor quakes.
• Sept 2 — Florida (USA): Atlas V launch produced a coastal sonic boom. Strange Sounds
• Sept 1 — Washington State (USA): A quake created a loud rumble + boom.
• Sept 1 — Karachi (Pakistan): PAF sonic boom caused citywide reports of a “huge blast.”

↑ Back to top · Next: Aug

Loud Booms — August 2015

• Aug 29 — Pennsylvania (USA): A cluster of mystery booms drew statewide chatter. Forum
• Aug 28–29 — Alabama (USA): Redstone Arsenal hinted at exercises after regional booms.
• Aug 23 — Sagamihara (Japan): A US facility incident produced a giant explosion with multiple booms. Mirror
• Aug 22 — Cooke County, TX (USA): Another mystery sonic boom; air force trainings suspected. Facebook
• Aug 13 — Norway/Sweden: A giant meteor disintegrated with audible booms. Norsk meteornettverk
• Aug 14 — New Jersey (USA): A small quake near Bernardsville triggered an earthquake boom. CBS New York
• Aug 14 — Lancaster Co., PA (USA): Overnight booms & shaking likely tied to a very small quake. LNP

↑ Back to top · Next: Jul

Loud Booms — July 2015

• Jul 31 — Sweden: Reports of earthquake booms near Gothenburg. The Local
• Jul 27 — Ararat, NC (USA): M2.5 quake linked to mystery rumbles. FOX8
• Jul 23 — Madison/Sauk City, WI (USA): Mystery boom rattled homes; crowdsourced reports spiked.
• Jul 22 — Rhode Island (USA): A pre-dawn earthquake boom woke residents. WJAR
• Jul 15 — QC–ON border (Canada): A regional quake produced a huge boom up to Ottawa. Strange Sounds
• Jul 13 — John Deere Classic (USA): Police investigated a loud boom during the golf tournament. QC Times
• Jul 13 — Coker, SC (USA): Town startled by a mystery boom after dark. 95.3 The Bear
• Jul 12 — Rhode Island (USA): A mysterious blast closed a beach; one person injured. WN.com
• Jul 9 — Vietnam & Laos: Loud boom + strange lights across the sky; suspected meteor. Thanh Niên
• Jul 5 — Abbotsford, BC (Canada): Earthquake booms from a M2.9 tremor. CBC
• Jul 4 — San Diego (USA): 21-gun salute at NAS North Island; midday booms by advisory. NBC San Diego

↑ Back to top · Next: Jun

Loud Booms — June 2015

• Earthquake Booms ompilation. Strange Sounds
• Jun 30 — Michigan (USA): A rare quake delivered a regional earthquake boom. Strange Sounds
• Jun 28 — Maryland (USA): Loud unexplained booms; speculation focused on tannerite or Fort Meade.
• Jun 23 — Whanganui region (New Zealand): Mystery boom & rumbles from Turakina to Waitōtara. Strange Sounds
• Jun 22 — Swansboro, CA (USA): Neighbors reported constant booms echoing through the foothills. FOX40
• Jun 21 — Alabama (USA): Mysterious quake swarms drew attention; some heard booms. CS Monitor
• Jun 20–26 — Camp Pendleton, CA (USA): Weekly noise advisory for high-explosive training. Strange Sounds
• Jun 19 — Lee County (USA): Mysterious loud boom shook homes countywide. KBUR
• Jun 17 — Washington, DC (USA): Periodic booms puzzled Columbia Heights. Reddit
• Jun 16 — Auckland (New Zealand): Another city-rattling boom—a likely sonic boom. Strange Sounds
• Jun 16–18 — Oʻahu (USA): Schofield Barracks noise advisory for booms. HNN
• Jun 12–14 — Fort Gordon, GA (USA): Explosives training brought a weekend of booms.
• Jun 11 — VA (USA): Chesterfield, Dinwiddie, Prince George homes rattled by mystery booms. Strange Sounds
• Jun 8 — Amador & Calaveras (USA): Counties reported loud booms echoing through canyons. No clues about source.
• Jun 7 — Kootenays, BC (Canada): A widespread rumble heard from Salmo to Nelson. Still unexplained
• Jun 2–12 — Flint, MI (USA): Army urban training produced repeated loud booms. Breaking911

↑ Back to top · Next: May

Loud Booms — May 2015

• May 21 — Helsinki region (Finland): A Hornet sonic boom rattled the capital area. Yle
• May 20 — Cheyenne, WY (USA): Controlled explosions jolted the city. KGWN
• May 18 — North Charleston, SC (USA): Reports of an unexplained explosion; scene later cleared without findings. WCBD
• May 17 — Centurion (South Africa): Mystery explosion rattled neighborhoods. Rekord
• May — Worldwide: Compilation of mystery boom reports. Strange Sounds
• May 7 — Mansfield, TX (USA): A M4.0 quake drew “explosion” descriptions.
• May 6 — Las Vegas, NV (USA): Residents heard/felt booms; videos circulated.

• May 2 — Michigan (USA): A quake boom captured on video.

• May 1 — Edgefield Co., SC (USA): Quake rumbles across the county. Edgefield Advertiser
• May 1 — Sandpoint, ID (USA): A quake triggered an explosion-like boom.
• May 1 — NJ Joint Base (USA): Eight straight days of artillery/explosives training. WOBM

↑ Back to top · Next: Apr

Loud Booms — April 2015

• April mystery booms compilation. Strange Sounds
• Apr 8 — Guthrie, OK (USA): A 4.3 quake accompanied by a loud roar/boom. KFOR
• Apr 1 — Berkeley, CA (USA): Explosive booms likely fireworks, police said. ABC7
• Apr 1 — Central NJ (USA): Earth-shaking booms rattled residents across Mercer County. NJ.com

↑ Back to top · Next: Mar

Loud Booms — March 2015

• Mar 26 — Lake in the Hills, IL (USA): Earthquake booms and shaking reported. Chicago Tribune
• Mar 21 — Kelly, LA (USA): Tannerite targets rattled residents with explosion-like booms.
• Mar 16 — Hampton Roads/Outer Banks (USA): Ground-shaking booms drew widespread reports. WTKR
• Mar 11 — Melbourne (Australia): A 2.7 quake produced a short, sharp boom. 9News
• Mar 8 — Crawley (UK): Loud “strange” noises and bangs heard across town. Crawley News
• Mar 6 — Kailua-Kona, HI (USA): Quake boom and shaking near town.
• Mar 2 — Victoria, TX (USA): Citywide mystery boom baffled residents. Source unknown.

↑ Back to top · Next: Feb

Loud Booms — February 2015

• Compilation of booms and mysterious explosions for February. Strange Sounds
• SS1.
• Feb 25 — Channel Islands (UK/France): M4.0 quake with rumbling heard widely.
• Feb 20 — Tennessee & Midwest (USA): Frost quakes explained surprising winter booms. ABC News
• Feb 19 — Fort Hood, TX (USA): Army exercises the reason for night booms.
• Feb 13 — Bournemouth (UK): Coastal residents puzzled by a loud boom. Echo
• Feb — Lynchburg region, VA (USA): TV viewers sent in boom reports; experts weighed in. WSET
• Feb 12 — Huntsville area, AL (USA): A Redstone Arsenal boom shook the metro. WHNT
• Feb 12 — Carter County, OK (USA): Mystery boom shook rural neighborhoods. KTEN
• Feb 6 — Florida (USA): A coastal sonic boom reported by scores of residents. News4JAX

↑ Back to top · Next: Jan

Loud Booms — January 2015

• Compilation of loud booms, skyquakes and earthquake rumbles. Strange Sounds
• Jan 27 — Winchester (UK): Earthquake booms as a small quake hit; felt across Hampshire. Telegraph
• Jan 27 — Wellington (New Zealand): A late-night unexplained explosion in the eastern suburbs. Stuff
• Jan 14 — Waterloo/Council Bluffs (USA): Residents reported loud booms across the metro.
• Jan 12 — Plainfield, CT (USA): A M3.3 quake produced an earthquake boom heard widely. NBC CT
• Jan 8 — Oklahoma (USA): Strange booms rattled the state amid winter cold. KFOR
• Jan 6 — USA: A reported megacryometeor incident made the rounds online.

• Jan 3 — Northern Indiana (USA): Weekend “explosion & jet engine noises” stumped locals. WSBT
• Jan 1 — Riverside, ID (USA): A New Year’s Day mystery boom reported across Bingham County. Idaho State Journal
• Jan 1 — Luzerne County, PA (USA): Residents posted about a mysterious boom on New Year’s Day. WNEP

Report a 2015 boom we missed

Did you hear a mystery boom in 2015 that isn’t listed here? Drop it in the comments or send us a report with time, location, weather, directionality, and any audio/video. The more data points, the better our community can identify patterns.

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