Soundscapes

Acoustic monitoring equipment on the edge of the Grand Canyon.

Damian Johns

 

Preservation and Management

Natural soundscapes are a resource that cannot be seen or touched. In our modern world, where natural quiet is increasingly rare, it's more important than ever that we protect Grand Canyon National Park's (GCNP) natural soundscape. Natural and cultural sounds are a part of the web of resources that the National Park Service (NPS) protects under its organic act.

While a natural soundscape may be sometimes called "natural quiet", it does not mean silence. GCNP defines the natural soundscape as "the natural ambient sound level of the park." It is made up of all the sound conditions in a park which exist in the absence of any human-produced noises. These conditions are actually composed of many natural sounds, near and far, which are often heard simultaneously.

In an environment subject to high levels of human-caused noise, natural ambient sounds may be masked by these other noise sources. Learn more >

 

Soundscape Program

As part of the Grand Canyon Soundscape Program, park scientists deployed specialized acoustic monitoring equipment on the rim and inner corridor of Grand Canyon for overflight and bioacoustic monitoring. Acoustic data collected in the field is analyzed in software that produces spectrograms, or visual representations of the audio. These spectograms visualize the sound pressure level in decibels (dB) and the frequency of noise events in particular areas.

The GCNP Soundscape program encourages visitors to think about ways they can help conserve natural quiet, including hiking with headphones rather than speakers, silencing cell phones, and keeping voices low. It is important that all of us do our part to protect the natural soundscapes of our parks. By doing so, we help ensure present and future generations can enjoy sounds like the dawn chorus or the rush of water, without all the noise. Learn more >

 

Overhead Flights

Aircraft overflights are one of the most common human-caused sources of noise in GCNP and can be heard almost everywhere within its boundaries.

Noise from aircraft can have a significant adverse impact on natural quiet, wildlife interactions, and visitor experiences. In 1975, the Grand Canyon National Park Enlargement Act recognized natural quiet as being an important part of visitors' experiences and sought to understand the impact of overflights on the park's soundscape. Subsequently, the 1987 Overflights Act required the "substantial restoration of natural quiet." The data collected by the Soundscape Program helps GCNP determine how well it is meeting the objectives of preserving natural sounds. Learn more >

 

Wildlife

A growing amount of research indicates that human-caused noise can interfere with wildlife species reliant on sounds, especially for mating purposes and finding prey. Bighorn sheep, Mexico Spotted Owls, California condors, and mountain lions are all species within Grand Canyon that scientists believe are affected by noise pollution. Learn More >