# sound of thunder **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 20, 2002, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sound-of-thunder/119978 "2002-07-20T16:13:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![scm1001](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c4cdca/32.png) [@scm1001](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scm1001)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2002, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sound-of-thunder/119978/1 "2002-07-20T16:13:51Z")
listening to thunder recently, I noticed that near by strikes started with a sharpish crack, followed a second later by a much louder roar. Why is the louder part after the first? ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2002, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sound-of-thunder/119978/2 "2002-07-20T16:50:44Z")
From \* Physical Meteorology\* by Houghton > [@](#): > > The “crack” heard from a close flash owes its characteristic sound to high frequencies that are lost at greater distances. The “clap” is heard when major segments of the [lightning] channel are more or less normal [perpendicular] to the observer’s line of sound. The rumbles come from the more distant segments of the channel. … Thunder of a fabric-ripping sound may be heard from nearby leader strokes. ---
**Author:** ![femtosecond](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f08c70/32.png) [@femtosecond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/femtosecond)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2002, 10:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sound-of-thunder/119978/3 "2002-07-21T10:59:38Z")
[Speed of sound vs. frequency–effects in thunder?](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=121873) [Why does thunder roll?](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=38222)