Can sound from a 747 taking off cause an avalanche?

It's highly improbable that a 747 takeoff will cause an avalanche. As impressive as the roar of its 4 engines' thrust may be, its intensity will follow Inverse-square law such that by the time the sound reaches surrounding mountains, at least a few miles away, it'd be no more than the energy equivalent of someone shouting. read more

Essentially, it doesn’t. This is a myth from the movies, the theory being that the sound waves from someone shouting carry enough energy into the snow to cause it to slide. That’s not to say that certain frequencies of sound couldn’t cause an avalanche, but the source would need to be much louder than a shout. read more

Best Answer: Although it's a convenient plot device in the movies (and most recently on Jeep commercials) noise does NOT trigger avalanches. It's just one of those myths that refuses to die. Noise is simply not enough force unless it's EXTREMELY loud noise such as an explosive going off at close range. read more