The Loudest Noises Ever Recorded

Have you ever wondered what the loudest noises ever recorded were? Jamie Frater of ListVerse recently wrote up a list of the Top 10.

As a point of reference, keep in mind that human speech is only registered at 25 – 35 decibels and any noise above 85 dB can cause hearing loss.

10.  Rock Concerts: 135 – 145 dB

9.  Fireworks: 145 – 150 dB

8.  Gunfire: 145 – 155 dB

7.  NHRA Dragsters: 155 – 160 dB

6.  Space Shuttle Launch: 165 – 170 dB

5.  Krakatoa Volcano (1883): 180 dB

4.  The Blue Whale: 188 dB

3.  1-Ton TNT Bomb: 210 dB

2.  5.0 Richter Scale Earthquake: 235 dB

1.  Tunguska Meteor: 300 – 315 dB

The Tunguska Meteor explosion in Russia in 1908 is considered to be the loudest event in history.  The noise level can be compared to the impact of a 1000-mega ton bomb.