There have been reports of a mysterious "pinging" sound that is said to be coming from the Arctic sea floor, with the phenomenon now involving the Canadian military.
Hunters in a remote Nunavut community are concerned about the mysterious sound, which is also sometimes described as either a "hum" or a "beep." The sound has been heard throughout the summer season in Fury and Hecla Strait, a channel of water that is about 120 kilometers (74.6 miles) northwest from the Inuit hamlet of Iglooik.
Local politician Paul Quassa, who told the Nunavut legislature last month that the sound is emanating from the sea floor, said that the phenomenon is scaring the animals away from the location, which is a major hunting area in the summer and winter seasons.
Several other people have claimed to have heard the mysterious sound, including boaters on a private yacht. It was said that the sound could be heard even through the hulls of boats.
Canadian Military Investigation
An investigation into the mysterious sound has been launched by the Canadian armed forces, which tasked a patrol aircraft to fly to the area earlier this week. The order was made under Operation Limpid, which is a domestic surveillance program that looks to protect Canada from possible threats.
The crew of the aircraft, however, did not detect the mysterious sound even after performing different kinds of multi-sensor searches in the said location, including an acoustic search that lasted for 1.5 hours. With no findings, the country's Department of National Defence stated that it will not be launching any more investigations into the matter.
Theories On The Mysterious Pinging Sound
No confirmation has yet been made on what is causing the mysterious sound, but there are several theories on what is behind it.
The first theory is that the sound is due to the activities of the Baffinland Iron Mines Corp., which previously carried out sonar surveys in a nearby inlet. However, the company rebuked the theory by saying that it has not conducted any such surveys in the area, with none of its equipment currently under the water.
Quassa supported the company's claims, adding that no permits have been issued for such work to be carried out in the area to explain the sound.
Another theory is that Greenpeace activists are behind the phenomenon, as they use the sound to scare away the animals to prevent them from being hunted. There have been previous rumors that the group has placed sonar devices on the seabed for the purpose, but according to Quassa, there is no evidence of such a thing done by Greenpeace.
The Department of National Defence has not ruled out the possibility that the sound was caused by submarines passing through the area, despite being unlikely.
Of course, there will always be the theory that the sound has an extraterrestrial source, perhaps a device placed there by aliens or an alien spacecraft that crashed into the sea and that it is asking for help.
Stories From The Arctic
Apparently, the Arctic holds a lot of mysteries in addition to the mysterious sound. It was recently reported that Russian scientists have discovered a secret Nazi base in the Arctic Circle.
In June, it was reported that the ice levels of the Arctic reached record lows in May. Meanwhile, a recent study showed that the thickness of the ice in the area is directly proportional to its age.
