Soundscapes of Alaska

A researcher sets up sound recording equipment.
A soundscape researcher sets up recording equipment in Katmai National Park and Preserve to measure natural sounds.

NPS

Natural sounds are an important part of the experience of being in wild places. Some sounds are gentle and we may not even notice them much in the background; think of the sounds of flowing water, bird songs, frogs, insects, the wind. Other sounds are dramatic, awe-inspiring; think of wolf howls or a glacier calving.

Natural sounds can be masked by human sounds such as engine noise (from cars, all-terrain vehicles, snowmachines, boats, and planes) and not only disturb our enjoyment of the natural world, but also disrupt natural ecosystems. Wildlife use sounds to communicate. Young vocalize to communicate with their mothers; calls are used to find mates; warning sounds are made to raise the alarm about predators. These sounds are important in both terrestrial systems as well as marine ecosystems (including underwater communication among whales, for example). The National Park Service documents and monitors soundscapes to ensure natural sounds are protected.

Learn more about the natural sounds program in the National Park Service and soundscapes in Denali and Alaska.

Listen to this, Alaska soundscape research

Showing results 1-10 of 13

  • Visually impaired students help collect acoustic data in Grand Canyon National Park

    • Type: Article
    Students, staff, and crew of the Leading the Way program. Photo courtesy of Grand Canyon Youth.

    In 2008, 12 visually impaired students along with sighted teenagers and guides embarked on a Colorado River trip through Grand Canyon National Park. It was the first of its kind. The data they collected helped the park do further soundscape monitoring.

  • Hearing the Difference—monitoring sounds in Alaska's National Parks

    • Type: Article
    • Locations: Denali National Park & Preserve, Noatak National Preserve
    Betchkal installs a sound-monitoring station near Triple Lakes in the Denali Park wilderness.

    NPS biologist Davyd Betchkal installs a sound-monitoring station near Triple Lakes in the Denali Park wilderness.

  • Mount Rainier National Park

    Exploring Sounds

    • Type: Article
    • Locations: Mount Rainier National Park
    Recording equipment set up on tripods on the edge of pond.

    Learn to "listen" to Mount Rainier’s soundscapes! Then try this activity to monitor the soundscape in your community.

  • Herbert Hoover National Historic Site

    Acoustic Monitoring At Herbert Hoover National Historic Site

    • Type: Article
    • Locations: Herbert Hoover National Historic Site
    A portable weather station and sound monitoring instrument set up in a field.

    Studies of sound at Herbert Hoover NHS helps identify sources of noise and inform future management decisions.

  • Noise Model of Lake Powell

    • Type: Article
    • Locations: Glen Canyon National Recreation Area
    • Offices: Natural Sounds and Night Skies Division
    Map shows Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, Lake Powell, and surrounding Navajo Indian lands.

    Noise models are effective tools for showing how noise distributes across park landscapes. Scientists in the Natural Sounds and Night Skies Division created a noise map of Lake Powell at Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, Utah that shows the distribution and duration of aircraft noise above Lake Powell.

  • Built from Scratch: Tech Tools for National Parks

    • Type: Article
    • Offices: Natural Resource Stewardship and Science Directorate, Natural Sounds and Night Skies Division
    NPS scientist shows some of the electronic components that comprise the noise level display signs.

    The Natural Sounds and Night Skies Division lab is part tech shop, equipment stage, and staging ground for field trips. Division scientists create a range of innovative instruments for use in national parks, including noise traffic display signs.

  • Denali National Park & Preserve

    Origins of Soundscape Monitoring in Denali

    • Type: Article
    • Locations: Denali National Park & Preserve
    two microphones in a tree-less meadow near steep, snowy mountains

    Soundscapes, the combined sounds from natural and non-natural sources, are recognized as an important resource in national parks. In the year 2000, park managers recognized that the natural soundscape of Denali was increasingly affected by non-natural sounds. Because preserving the natural soundscape also helps preserve the associated wilderness values and visitor experiences, a soundscape program was initiated.

  • The Sounds of Spring

    • Type: Article
    • Locations: Bryce Canyon National Park, Cuyahoga Valley National Park, Great Basin National Park, Voyageurs National Park, Yosemite National Park, Zion National Park
    • Offices: Natural Sounds and Night Skies Division
    Sandhill cranes dance in a courtship ritual in flooded grasslands at Great Sand Dunes NP.

    When the weather warms, national parks across the country rouse from winter’s sleep. The sounds you hear in parks reflect this seasonal change. They contribute to the unique soundscape of these special places, and are among the resources that the National Park Service protects.

  • Recording Natural Sounds at Lassen Volcanic National Park

    • Type: Article
    • Offices: Natural Sounds and Night Skies Division, Volunteers
    A man sits on the ground with a microphone resting on the ground behind him

    Many people come to Lassen Volcanic National Park to "get away from it all" and that includes the non-stop clamor of our everyday lives. Volunteer and 2017 Artist in Residence Greg Wedding introduces us to his passion of recording natural soundscapes. Version with audio Description: http://go.nps.gov/LAVO/GW

  • National Park of American Samoa

    Undergraduate scholars advance acoustic research in national parks

    • Type: Article
    • Locations: National Park of American Samoa

    In an NPS partnership with the Colorado State University Sound and Light Ecology team, undergraduate students working in the Listening Lab discover and assess a spectrum of acoustical data collected in national parks around the country. The primary goal of the lab is to aid in the understanding of natural soundscapes by providing a resource to efficiently analyze the thousands of hours of natural and anthropogenic, or human-caused, sounds recorded each year.

Tags: sound sounds soundscape soundscapes natural sound natural sound programs sound monitoring sound impacts sound resource sound recording noise pollution natural sounds alaska
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Last updated: December 9, 2019

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