Unidentified "booms" over Tucson, Arizona USA

Heard a couple rumbles in Tucson around 7:15ish and it's on the ABC news affiliate, channel 9. Meteors? Sonic booms? Earthquakes? The local airports say it isn't theirs. They were short and seconds apart, if what I heard was what the commotion was about and sounded like sonic booms but had more resonance and energy.

aliens

reply to post by Baddogma


I used to live in Tucson and heard booms there quite often... I would hear from my neighbors that it was blasting for some of the local mines, but no one really knew for sure. I am surprised the local affiliate picked it up... must be "boomier" than usual...

Can't find the link, but there were booms in San Diego this morning also.

reply to post by madmac5150


"Boomier" is a good descriptor. I'm used to the mine blasts, military sonic booms and freight trains coupling... this was a tad different. Boomier and rumbly-er.

Air Force testing a new craft out of Groom Lake. Tax money at work before it gets sequestered. Happening all over the US.

reply to post by Yngvarr


San Diego is pretty much 500 miles due West, if that's even related. Hmmm, tectonic? Pretty long time interval for meteors... definitely noteworthy, though.

I had the impression it came from "up" but with echoes in the city who knows.

reply to post by NightFlight


Maybe hardware... any evidence? Guess? Hearsay? Double sonic boom interesting if aircraft if nothing else than "Why two? and if this morning why 8 hours apart... slow super sonic aircraft?"

Could be making long loops?

reply to post by Baddogma


Hypersonic stuff, craft break sound barriers slowing down as well as going faster. Two quick booms USUALLY denotes a craft slowing down from at least twice the speed of sound.

Do have family working for DOD.

Most contractors trying to use money, manpower, facilities before Fridays sequester deadline, if it comes.

Originally posted by Baddogma
reply to post by Yngvarr

 

San Diego is pretty much 500 miles due West, if that's even related. Hmmm, tectonic? Pretty long time interval for meteors... definitely noteworthy, though.

I had the impression it came from "up" but with echoes in the city who knows.

Yeah it's a wide gap. Maybe some aircraft testing?
Any bases around that part of AZ?

reply to post by NightFlight


Reasonable answer.

And yes to Air Force base from other post, Davis Monthan AFB is local... and of course they wouldn't say it was their secret aircraft.

Did see a couple dark flits in sky that I assumed were bats... but that was minutes before the sounds. Didn't know about the double booms.

Originally posted by Yngvarr

Originally posted by Baddogma
reply to post by Yngvarr

 

San Diego is pretty much 500 miles due West, if that's even related. Hmmm, tectonic? Pretty long time interval for meteors... definitely noteworthy, though.

I had the impression it came from "up" but with echoes in the city who knows.

Yeah it's a wide gap. Maybe some aircraft testing?
Any bases around that part of AZ?

Several bases, including the "boneyard"... Luke AFB in Glendale is an F-16 training base, Davis-Monthan AFB in Tucson is a multi-mission base. I was stationed at both... D-M is the only base that may have aircraft capable of a double-sonic boom... but they are all covered with "saran wrap" for long term storage...

Originally posted by Yngvarr

Originally posted by Baddogma
reply to post by Yngvarr

 

San Diego is pretty much 500 miles due West, if that's even related. Hmmm, tectonic? Pretty long time interval for meteors... definitely noteworthy, though.

I had the impression it came from "up" but with echoes in the city who knows.

Yeah it's a wide gap. Maybe some aircraft testing?
Any bases around that part of AZ?

Yes, there is Davis Monthan Air Force base.

Crafts from this base often fly super sonic over parts of Tucson (especially the University of Arizona) during most hours of the day.

I would say this is most likely the result of an air craft with the air force base nearby.

reply to post by Baddogma


If congress can't reach a reasonable tax deal for Friday, I will hazard a guess that you will hear many more tomorrow, Feb 28. DOD contractors seem to be going crazy.

I just started a thread about this up here in az city, about an hour from you.

Had one today. Tuscon is showing there was an earthquake today

They had a link to it on Channel 9's site. Interesting stuff. Looks like USGS detected seismic data at the time of it. www.kgun9.com...

Must have been a big couple of booms indeed.

Add: No quake on USGS yet (please let ATS shorten this link as it usually does because it monstrously long lol): earthquake.usgs.gov...:eyJyZXFjb25maWciOnsiZW5hYmxlVVRDIjp0cnVlLCJhdXRvVXBkYXRlIjp0cnVlfSwiZmlsdGVyIjp7ImxpbWl0Ijp7InZhbHVlI jozMDB9LCJhZ2UiOnsibWluIjpudWxsLCJtYXgiOm51bGx9LCJtYWduaXR1ZGUiOnsibWluIjpudWxsLCJtYXgiOm51bGx9LCJkZXB0aCI6eyJtaW4iOm51bGwsIm1heCI6bnVsbH0sIm1heG1taSI 6eyJtaW4iOm51bGwsIm1heCI6bnVsbH19LCJtYXAiOnsiY2VudGVyIjp7ImxhdGl0dWRlIjozNC4zMjQxOTI5ODA3NTYsImxvbmdpdHVkZSI6LTExMS4wOTM3NDk5NDA0MX0sIm1hcHR5cGUiOiJVU 0dTIFRvcG9ncmFwaHkiLCJ6b29tIjo1LCJvdmVybGF5cyI6W3sibmFtZSI6IlBsYXRlcyIsInZpc2libGUiOiJ0cnVlIn0seyJuYW1lIjoiRmF1bHRzIiwidmlzaWJsZSI6InRydWUifSx7Im5hbWU iOiJHbG9iYWwgSGF6YXJkIiwidmlzaWJsZSI6ImZhbHNlIn0seyJuYW1lIjoiVVMgSGF6YXJkIiwidmlzaWJsZSI6ImZhbHNlIn0seyJuYW1lIjoiRWFydGhxdWFrZXMiLCJ2aXNpYmxlIjoidHJ1Z SJ9XX0sImxpc3QiOnsiZGVmYXVsdFNvcnQiOiJ0aW1lIiwic29ydEFzY2VuZGluZyI6ZmFsc2V9LCJmZWVkIjoiYWxsd2VlayJ9

Originally posted by WhiteAlice
They had a link to it on Channel 9's site. Interesting stuff. Looks like USGS detected seismic data at the time of it. www.kgun9.com...

Must have been a big couple of booms indeed.

Wow earthquakes are very rare in AZ

Earthquake temblors a rarity in Arizona
www.azcentral.com...

All of the quakes recorded within the state's borders over the past century were in the moderate category. Most were reported in northern parts of the state.

The largest quake ever recorded in Arizona was July 21, 1959. It was a magnitude 5.6 and was centered near Fredonia, along the Arizona-Utah border. Windows broke in houses and stores and items fell from shelves.

A rock slide at Mather Point in the Grand Canyon was likely caused by the quake, the USGS reports.

A series of 52 quakes, recorded in September 1910, shook the Coconino National Forest near Flagstaff. Construction crews fled a work camp and, according to a USGS account, "the earth maintained a constant quiver."

Two years later, a tremor broke open a 50-mile crack north of the San Francisco mountains. Rock slides were reported and the earth rolled "like waves on the Colorado River," the USGS writes.

In 1935, a quake awakened visitors at the Grand Canyon. People reported a low rumble and movement of houses and other structures. Walls cracked and rock slides were reported.

Scratch the DMAFB for sure.

There was a quake last month along the Utah border as well. There seems to be a trend all over the globe of increasing quake activity, why leave Arizona out of it?

Small earthquake hits along Arizona-Utah border
www.abc15.com...

Yes, there is Davis Monthan Air Force base.

Crafts from this base often fly super sonic over parts of Tucson (especially the University of Arizona) during most hours of the day.

I would say this is most likely the result of an air craft with the air force base nearby.

No, aircraft DO NOT fly supersonic over Tucson or the U of A. D-M's main aircraft are the A-10 and C-130, neither of which are even capable of supersonic flight. I am in no way defending the government, but I retired from D-M, I worked the flight line there for a long time... Transient aircraft in and out of D-M may be supersonic capable, but if you had any idea just how restrictive the approach is, you would know super sonic flight within metro Tucson coming in and out of the base is impossible.

Originally posted by madmac5150

Yes, there is Davis Monthan Air Force base.

Crafts from this base often fly super sonic over parts of Tucson (especially the University of Arizona) during most hours of the day.

I would say this is most likely the result of an air craft with the air force base nearby.

No, aircraft DO NOT fly supersonic over Tucson or the U of A. D-M's main aircraft are the A-10 and C-130, neither of which are even capable of supersonic flight. I am in no way defending the government, but I retired from D-M, I worked the flight line there for a long time... Transient aircraft in and out of D-M may be supersonic capable, but if you had any idea just how restrictive the approach is, you would know super sonic flight within metro Tucson coming in and out of the base is impossible.

Was visiting a buddy at UofA and sitting in on a few classes with them a few days ago while the jets were flying over and could not even hear the professor over the roar.

Not supersonic then, just very very loud.

reply to post by Baddogma


This boom was strange even for Tucson. Yes Tucson does have DMAB but we all know the sound of sonic booms from jets flying overhead. If this was the case we would make the news every night. This boom was longer than the silverbell mine booms plus the mine closes at 5pm. Iam thinking A. Small space (astroid )object B. Earthquake C.known source. Time well tell . The more people that heard it should bring more light to the question. Anyone out side hear it ? I was in my house crap . I am located 6 miles from I 10 west marana exit .