Question Time!
What do these three things below have in common?
Yes! You’re correct, imaginary reader! My god you’re good. All three of these things, are fantastic at swallowing sound. Yum.
For the stage curtain & sound proofing, swallowing up those delicious sound waves are the primary functions of the items. But that’s right, our chilly friend the snowflake, turns out to be a ravenous little sound-eater as well.
Acoustic waves get trapped in the air pockets of these snowflakes. These acoustic waves are then endlessly refracted by the branching patterns of the crystals until they all but trail off. Much like our sound-proofed studio linings and our velvet curtain, sound is broken up and absorbed in their hollows. Snowflakes consist of 90% trapped air, so there is much ‘hollow’ for this sound to become lost within. This high concentration of air is also why people can survive 100 foot drops into snow, yet the same fall onto water would end rather disastrously.
Snowfall also thickens the air, creating a barrier for sound-waves to travel through, resulting in an even greater winter hush. Also, sound travels faster in warmer environments, meaning once the cold frosts and winds of winter spread their way across the land, sound begins to move through the air at a slower pace. Combine these factors with the acoustic swallowing effects of the snowflakes themselves, and my god we’ve got ourselves some peace and quiet friend!
In the words of poet, Angie Weiland-Crosby, of whom I have definitely not just found out about, upon searching for a quote on the quietness on winter…
‘Winter knows to hush, still, listen, so the soul can speak.’
A recent seven hour hike with two mates to Lake Bourgeau in the Canadian Rockies, treated me to the pure and serene silence of winter. Whenever this raucous triad of French, Aussie & Pommy saps allowed themselves to close their mouths and open their ears, something beautiful would be heard. That something, was nothing. Sweet nothing. A wonderful stillness and peace to the world around. Almost thick in its silence. When you look out in the heart of a winter, snow cloaks over pines, rocks, moss and dirt alike, like a great blanket draped down from above. Trees stand still and bare of leaves. A truly inspiring spectacle. In the words of Henry David Thoreau:
“Nature now, like an athlete, begins to strip herself in earnest for her contest with her great antagonist Winter. In the bare trees and twigs what a display of muscle.”
Physicists say falling snow cannot be heard by humans as the pitch is too damn high. Oh, but not all creatures are humans, are they my dear friend? No, other creatures such as wolves and bats can hear falling snow, which may be a reason they are able to anticipate snowfall and make shelter before the sh*t hits the fan. Or more likely, snowflakes gently touches down on land.
So there you have it my dear reader. The silence of winter. A truly beautiful thing.