Sonic Boom

A sonic boom occurs when an object, like a jet, travels faster than the speed of sound in air (about 343 meters per second or 761 miles per hour). As it moves at such high speed, it creates a series of shock waves that merge into a single, powerful sound—this is the sonic boom. The boom is essentially the noise produced by these shock waves reaching the ground. People often hear it as a loud, thunder-like sound. Sonic booms are common in supersonic flight and can be startling, but they are a natural consequence of breaking the sound barrier.