Mystery Booms & Skyquakes — 2011 → 1930 Archive of Unexplained Loud Booms

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Mystery booms archive 2011–1930 — skyquakes and unexplained loud booms
Classic “boom” mystery: skyquakes, Seneca Guns, and earthquake booms (2011–1930).
Key facts (TL;DR)
A historical index of sonic booms, earthquake booms, cryoseisms, industrial events, and classic Seneca Guns spanning 2011 back to the 1930s. Use the source links to cross-check with seismic logs, range advisories, and fireball reports.

Jump to: 2011–2007 · 2006–2004 · 2003–2001 · 2000–1999 · 1997 · Before 1997

This page compiles older reports of mystery booms, house-shaking rumbles, and classic skyquakes. Where possible, we include original sources and context; many items predate robust instrument coverage, so treat them as breadcrumbs for further checking.

Mystery Booms 2011 – 2007

  • Dec 15, 2011 — Horry County, SC (USA): Unknown booms rocked the county; source undetermined. WMBF
  • Dec 14, 2011 — Tehran (Iran): Reports of a loud bang amid a series of mysterious events in the capital. NPR
  • Dec 11, 2011 — Livingston Parish, LA (USA): Sonic boom from jet suspected after loud report. WAFB
  • Dec 4, 2011 — Jackson County, MS (USA): Sonic booms heard over coastal Alabama/Mississippi. WLOX
  • Sep 11, 2011 — USA: Nationwide interest as mysterious booming sounds perplex scientists. NBC News
  • Mar 3, 2011 — Florida (USA): Geologist says shaking wasn’t a Florida earthquake (context video).
  • Jan 12, 2011 — Galveston, TX (USA): Mystery booms rattled the island.
  • May 10, 2010 — Watson Lake, Yukon (Canada): Report of loud thunder. Investigations continues.
  • Compilation of skyquakes and mysterious explosions from 2007 to 2011. Strange Sounds.

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Mystery Booms 2006 – 2004

  • Mysterious booms and rattlings compilation for 2006. Strange Sounds
  • Dec 21, 2005 — SE North Carolina (USA): Explosive booms reported across the region. WRAL
  • Nov 22, 2005 — Herzliya (Israel): Mysterious booms rattle homes. Ynet
  • Nov 3, 2005 — Palestinian territories: Reports of sonic bombs affecting civilians. The Guardian
  • Nov 23, 2004 — Lakeside, CA (USA): Boons/booms baffled residents (thread + discussion). DU
  • Nov 8, 2004 — USA: “UFO boom” discussion thread. Unexplained Mysteries
  • Sep 4, 2004 — USA: Mystery solved: Lockheed flight tests behind noises. NUFORC
  • May 12, 2004 — Australia: Hovering, flashing lights reportedly accompanied a boom. WND
  • Jan 20, 2004 — Lancaster, PA (USA): Debunking popular mystery boom theories. LNP

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Mystery Booms 2003 – 2001

  • Dec 4, 2003 — Sydney (Australia): The night the city “went bang,” cause unclear. SMH
  • Oct 3, 2003 — Croydon (UK): Mystery bangs plagued a town and baffled residents. Croydon Guardian
  • Sep 23, 2003 — Watseka, IL (USA): “Boom” remained a mystery for officials. SOTT supplement
  • Jan 28, 2003 — Florida region (USA): Multiple reports the same day: bird/plane/sonic boom?, plane-caused sonic boom, and a mysterious rumble. SOTT supplement
  • Dec 8, 2002 — Massachusetts (USA): Earthquake boom noted. Rense
  • Sep 9, 2002 — Australia: Boulder-size meteor almost struck? Discussion. Forum
  • Aug 22, 2002 — India: Sonic booms tied in popular press to “scarlet rains” mystery. Rense
  • Jul 6, 2001 — Franklin (USA): Documented boom event. Assassination Science

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Mystery Booms 2000 – 1999

  • Feb 2, 1999 — Elk City, OK (USA): A mystery boom reported. Rense
  • Jan 10, 1999 — Fairfield, OH (USA): Unexplained booms rattled residents. Rense

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Mystery Booms 1997

  • May 15, 1997 — S. Ohio / N. Kentucky (USA): An explosive sound described as a “heavy jolt sounding like thunder” rolled across a wide area at ~1:15 p.m. Reference
  • Apr 28, 1997 — USA (quote): Notable public statement referencing “eco-type of terrorism” (context discussion). Metabunk

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Mystery Booms before 1997

  • May 8, 1996 — Florida (USA): Mysterious booms baffled residents. Google Groups
  • May 30, 1995 — USA: Studies of sonic booms using seismic networks. ASA
  • Jun 1991 — Los Angeles (USA): Documented sonic booms. Ufologie
  • Feb 1991 — Carolina beaches (USA): Loud booms along the coast. Science Frontiers
  • 1978 (USA): Starting Dec 1977, offshore detonations heard along the Atlantic Coast from Canada to South Carolina. Science Frontiers
  • 1934 — Seneca Guns (USA): Historic reference to the classic coastal skyquake phenomenon. Science Frontiers

How to use this archive

Entries link to original reports where available. For each event, consider the date/time, weather, nearby training ranges, USGS/local seismic logs, and fireball networks to distinguish earthquake booms, sonic booms, industrial blasts, and unexplained skyquakes.

Report a missing case

Know of a pre-2012 boom we missed? Drop the date, time, precise location, and any audio/video in the comments so we can expand this historical index.

💬 Heard one? Tell us in the comments. Or contact us.

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