What is "infrasound"

n. (context physics English) sound wave having frequency below the human audible range (below about 20 Hz).

Infrasound, sometimes referred to as low-frequency sound, is sound that is lower in frequency than 20 Hz ( hertz) or cycles per second, the "normal" limit of human hearing. Hearing becomes gradually less sensitive as frequency decreases, so for humans to perceive infrasound, the sound pressure must be sufficiently high. The ear is the primary organ for sensing infrasound, but at higher intensities it is possible to feel infrasound vibrations in various parts of the body.

The study of such sound waves is referred to sometimes as infrasonics, covering sounds beneath 20 Hz down to 0.1Hz and rarely to 0.001 Hz. This frequency range is utilized for monitoring earthquakes, charting rock and petroleum formations below the earth, and also in ballistocardiography and seismocardiography to study the mechanics of the heart.

Infrasound is characterized by an ability to cover long distances and get around obstacles with little dissipation. In music, low frequency sounds, including near infrasound, can be produced using acoustic waveguide methods, such as a large pipe organ or, for reproduction, exotic loudspeaker designs such as transmission line, rotary woofer, or traditional subwoofer designs. Subwoofers designed to produce infrasound are capable of sound reproduction an octave or more below that of most commercially available subwoofers, and are often about 10 times the size.