If it comes as a surprise that the New York metro area is one of the loudest regionsby decibel, not mouthinessin the country, then kindly stop living under that rock. The National Park Service has confirmed this through a study of noise levels across the country. In addition to finding that an average summer day in New York City rings in above 50 decibels, it found that areas like Wyoming's Yellowstone National Park sound in at about 20 decibels, or the equivalent of silence as deep as before European colonization (h/t 6sqft). Most cities in the country averaged between 50 and 60 decibels.
The scientists behind the study determined the sound level by collecting and feeding acoustic data into an algorithm, which further accounted for variables like air and street traffic. The NPS is collecting the data to help determine where manmade noise is affecting wildlife and their ability to function to collect food. Well, however it shakes out, the city's swan population doesn't seem to notice.
· New Map Reveals the Loudest and Quietest Places in the USA, As Suspected NYC is Noisy [6sqft via Science]
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