What do Earthquakes sound like?

Question

I live in the Midwest and we don't get any Earthquakes here. I've heard people say that you can't hear an Earthquake, only the sound of buildings breaking apart and stuff. However, in the movies you always hear this "rumbling" sound, so I was wondering if Earthquakes make any sound at all, or is it just the sound of structures collapsing that you hear?

Answer 1

Kinda like a freight train moving by.  If you have ever been close to a train track when a train nears, you first feel the vibrations, than follows the rumbling sound.  It's kinda hard to explain if you've never experienced one.  Most of the time you hear the ambient sounds of dishes rattling or creaking of wood.  The funny thing is that most of the time, by the time you actually acknowledge that an earthquake has occur ed...it's over.  Living in Calif. has been interesting, but at the same time, when you learn about the nature of earthquakes....it's kinda cool.

Answer 2

i live in the midwest also and i we just got an earthquake this year... idk if there is a sound to them but i felt a great deal of movement.

Answer 3

earthquakes really don't have a sound, you just feel the rumbling

the only sounds you will hear are the sounds of things collapsing or breaking. i've been in 2 earthquakes

Answer 4

I believe for the larger ones you will definitely hear rumbling from the ground shifting.  I've not actually been through a large (magnitude 5.0+) one though.

I have felt smaller earthquakes, and those didn't make much noise, the only thing that triggered me to that was that the ground 'wobbled' for a few seconds, and I heard plates in the cabinet bumping against each other.