Credit: Steven Roussel/Fort Dix Training Division
Residents of Lower Bucks County have been reporting a series of mysterious booms and rumbles over the past few days.
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Officials have said that these noises were most likely linked to military training exercises at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst in New Jersey.
The training, which began last Wednesday and continued through Sunday, involved a series of high-noise activities including mortar fire, howitzer artillery fire, and the detonation of cratering charges.
The high-noise exercises are known to produce significant bursts of sound that can cause vibrations strong enough to shake homes and be heard for miles under the right weather conditions.
Credit: Daniel Amburg/Fort Dix Training Support Center
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The right atmospheric conditions, like low cloud cover, can enhance the distance over which the sounds travel, leading to the rumbling and shaking of homes even in areas located miles away from the training site.
Over the decades, the noise and rumbling has been noticeable in Lower Bucks County, which lies approximately 12 miles from the base. The Levittown area is largely within the flat Atlantic Coastal Plain that extends to the New Jersey shore. The piedmont and its rolling hills, which can limit the distance sound can travel, start around Route 1 in the county.
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The base has noted that the remainder of March will see a continuation of training activities at medium noise levels. The training will involve the use of .50-caliber weapons, rocket fire, and rotary cannons.
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