7.8 - Noise Pollution

Question 1

Urban Noise Pollution

Answer 1

• Any noise at great enough volume to cause physiological stress (difficulty communicating, headaches, confusion) or hearing loss
• construction: jack hammers, trucks, conrete pouring
• Transporation: cars, busses, trains
• Industrial activity: manufacturing plants
• Domestic activity: nighbor’s music, lawn mowing, home projects

Question 2

Wildlife Effects (land)

Answer 2

• noise pollution can disrupt animal communication, migration, and damage hearing
• Physiological stress: caterpillar hearts beat faster when exposed to simulated highway noise pollution
  - could drive pollinator species decline
• Hearing: can prevent predators from hearing prey and vice versa; can prevent mates from locating each other (both of these decrease chances of survival)

Question 3

Wildlife Effects (Aquatic)

Answer 3

• Aquatic noise pollution comes from the noise of ship engines, military sonar, and seismic air blasts from oil and gas surveying ships
• Physiological stress: hearing loss, disrupted communication, mating calls, predator and prey navigation
  - whales are especially prone to having migration outes disrpted as their vocal communication is distrupted
• Seismic surveying ships send huge air blasts down into the water, searching for oil by recording how the echo is returned from the ocean floor
  - so lou that reasearchers off the coast f virginia can detect blasts from coast of Brazil