The Singing Dune
Where sand becomes music
Roaring, Booming, Singing
In about 35 desert locations worldwide, sand dunes produce sounds that can reach 105 decibels—louder than a motorcycle.
When sand slides down a dune face, grains collide at roughly 100 times per second. They synchronize. The dune face becomes a vast natural loudspeaker.
"When Marco Polo heard it in China, he suspected evil spirits."
— Historical accounts, 13th century
Size Determines Song
The pitch depends on grain size. Uniform grains produce pure tones. Varied grains create chords.
Smaller grains sing higher. Larger grains drone lower.
When You Stop
The last grains fall. The sound fades.
The dune returns to stillness—but it remembers. Move again, and it will sing.
The desert waits.