# Big Thud \[in south New Jersey. What was it?\]

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-thud-in-south-new-jersey-what-was-it/744866>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [February 1, 2016, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-thud-in-south-new-jersey-what-was-it/744866 "2016-02-01T18:44:18Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 7\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Enola\_Straight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dec6dc/32.png) [@Enola\_Straight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enola_Straight)\
**Post date:** [February 1, 2016, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-thud-in-south-new-jersey-what-was-it/744866/1 "2016-02-01T18:44:18Z")

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Feb 1 1:38 pm South Jersey, 7 mi. SW of Atlantic City. A great BIG Thud just shook my house. Something similar happened a week ago and was felt in Ocean City, NJ.

Seismic event?..Sonic Booms?

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**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\
**Post date:** [February 1, 2016, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-thud-in-south-new-jersey-what-was-it/744866/2 "2016-02-01T18:48:25Z")

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A week ago it was sonic booms.

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**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\
**Post date:** [February 1, 2016, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-thud-in-south-new-jersey-what-was-it/744866/3 "2016-02-01T18:50:17Z")

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Please use descriptive thread titles. Title edited to give a hint of what is being asked about.

Colibri  
General Questions Moderator

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**Author:** ![Sigene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df788c/32.png) [@Sigene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigene)\
**Post date:** [February 1, 2016, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-thud-in-south-new-jersey-what-was-it/744866/4 "2016-02-01T18:51:17Z")

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heres the story from last week.  
I’d assume it was the same thing this time

> **[Fighter jets caused sonic booms along New Jersey coast, officials say](https://www.foxnews.com/science/fighter-jets-caused-sonic-booms-along-new-jersey-coast-officials-say)**
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> Sonic booms heard and felt along the eastern shoreline were caused by military fighter jets conducting tests, officials said.

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**Author:** ![MikeF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@MikeF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MikeF)\
**Post date:** [February 1, 2016, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-thud-in-south-new-jersey-what-was-it/744866/5 "2016-02-01T18:51:40Z")

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nm

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**Author:** ![NeonMadman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/58f4c7/32.png) [@NeonMadman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NeonMadman)\
**Post date:** [February 1, 2016, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-thud-in-south-new-jersey-what-was-it/744866/6 "2016-02-01T19:26:24Z")

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Been sitting here in north Jersey all morning. Didn’t feel a thing.

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**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\
**Post date:** [February 1, 2016, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-thud-in-south-new-jersey-what-was-it/744866/7 "2016-02-01T22:40:47Z")

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Another article that I can’t find right now explained better why the atmospheric conditions and the stealth characteristics of the F-35 contributed to having the booms heard that strongly on land. They were flying in an area off shore that is often used for supersonic flights without complaint.