Why we can hear sounds from a longer distance during monsoon
During the monsoon season, the air tends to be more humid and there can be an increase in rainfall. These factors can significantly affect the propagation of sound, allowing it to travel over longer distances.
There are a few reasons why sound can be heard from a longer distance during monsoon:
1. Humidity: Humid air has more water vapor particles compared to dry air. These water vapor particles act as carriers or conductors of sound waves, allowing them to travel more efficiently. This means that sound waves can propagate over longer distances without losing much energy.
2. Temperature: Monsoon seasons are often associated with lower temperatures, which can result in a stable atmosphere with less temperature inversion. Temperature inversion is a phenomenon where the air near the ground is cooler than the air higher up in the atmosphere. This inversion layer can act as a barrier to sound, limiting its propagation. During the monsoon, the absence of significant temperature inversion allows sound waves to travel more freely and over longer distances.
3. Rainfall: Rainfall during the monsoon season can help in reducing the background noise levels, making it easier to hear sounds from a distance. Rainfall can also dampen or absorb other sounds, such as echoes or reverberation, which further enhances the audibility of distant sounds.
Overall, the combination of increased humidity, stable atmospheric conditions, and reduced background noise levels due to rainfall during the monsoon season contribute to the phenomenon of being able to hear sounds from a longer distance.