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Was the Bloop an icequake, and from which iceberg?

Asked 26 Oct 2026 by ·Part of What made the loud unidentified sounds recorded by NOAA's Pacific hydrophones in the 1990s?·4 answers·0·0 following
Most likely: the Bloop was one or more icequakes from a large iceberg cracking somewhere between Bransfield Strait and the…Ahead on the evidence, not yet confirmed. It needs two reviews to be accepted.

Where it stands

Four answers have been proposed. The Bloop was one or more icequakes from a large iceberg cracking somewhere between Bransfield Strait and the… leads, with evidence 3 for, 1 against: supported by its tests. Three are still possible.

Why it matters

The Bloop carries the case's fame and its attribution is the most cited. NOAA's two pages give different dates for the identification (2005 by the Ocean Service; comparison with 2008 recordings on PMEL's page), and the source iceberg has never been named⁠[1]⁠[2].

Answers 4

Evidence: 3 for, 1 against
Most likely
None of these.
Not tested enough to call either way
Evidence: none yet
Still possible
Evidence: 2 for
Still possible
The Bloop was not made by ice.
Failed a test; not refuted outright
Evidence: 1 for
Disputed

History

  1. CNN: fox suspected ice calving by 2001 because the sound always came from the south.For: The Bloop was one or more icequakes from a large iceberg cracking somewhere between Bransfield Strait and the…
  2. CNN puts forward: the Bloop was not made by ice.
  3. CNN: it was described in 2002 as unidentified and possibly biological.For: The Bloop was not made by ice.
  4. Dziak et al.: icequakes from iceberg breakup are broadband and recorded at long range.For: The Bloop was one or more icequakes from a large iceberg cracking somewhere between Bransfield Strait and the…
  5. Asked on this site
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