Rain heard 900 meters below the sea surface

This recording of rainfall on the sea surface, as heard at a depth of 900 m, is part of a series of recordings from an oceanic soundscape project using a deep-sea cabled observatory off the California coast. The first segment is the background sound before the rain squall; the second segment is during the squall. More information about this research project is available in a publication.

The fact that rain falling on the sea surface can be heard in the deep sea illustrates the efficacy of sound as a carrier of information in the sea, where it travels orders of magnitude farther than light.

The recording was made on 21 March 2016. © 2016 Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute