Overview:
Recordings were taken at Lake Crabtree in Raleigh, North Carolina on a fairly cloudy day with fair weather, and sporadic drops of rain. There was a slight wind blowing, causing ripples in the lake. Different areas were selected, some with shallower and deeper water levels, and at various locations throughout the northern portion of the lake. At first glance, the lake is quite different from a location such as Ellerbee Creek. The former is much more open, and less densely populated. At Ellerbee, there was quite a bit going on just looking at the surface, and everything seemed to be closer together. Because of the dense trees surrounding it, there were many birds and other forms of life present both visually and in the soundscape. We would therefore expect the lake to be much quieter.
There were very few people present, which produces a more "natural" sound, i.e. one with less disturbances and "let to be". In the first three recordings, there was no one around other than a friend who was a ways away and therefore not within the scope of the recordings. There are human voices briefly present in the last recording on a dock who shortly realized I was taking sound. This shows how human activities are naturally part of the overall soundscape, which is like a mesh of different frequencies that are all integral parts which create an overall whole.
Shallow Water
Time: 15:29
Date: 14 April 2015
A region of rather shallow water was selected in hopes of comparing the sound heard here to that at Ellerbee Creek. It would make sense to think that the lake would sound much more still; however, due to the wind, it does not.
Since this was a somewhat windy day, the sounds of water splashing and sloshing around can be heard. This type of sound, while louder than the creek water flow, is also distinct, as there is a certain rythmic sonic pattern that does not suggest flow, but rather reverberation.
Since this water was rather shallow, it is possible that the waters stirred up whatever was on the lakebottom and caused it to grind on the hydrophones.
All of this is rather quiet.
This is the combined version using both of the above recordings. Essentially, there is quite some water action going on here, but not really much else. Also, the overall soundscape nicely includes the underwater component, as it focuses in on a more narrow location, whereas the rippling water hits the shore all around the area to create a very easily audible and relaxing water soundscape.
Slightly Deeper Water
Time: 15:47
Date: 14 April 2015
An area of slightly deeper water was selected and the recording done there. When this recording was done, there was less wind present, so the soundscape sounds very tranquil both above and below the surface. These two are overlaid, as before. The sound heard is mostly due to water bumping into the land.
The rippling is present here, expectedly. There is not surprisingly a lack of variation in the diversity of sound, as wildlife in the immediate area is few and the water is very apparent. This lends itself well to a study of the water sounds themselves.
The underwater soundscape is very quiet. Occasional scraping sounds can be heard here and there when slight movements of the water cause slight movements of the hydrophones.
The combined recordings are relatively quiet, and also quite relaxing to listen to. The effect of water on the mind is a useful one especially when it comes to calming down the brain, de-stressing, and other similar uses. These recordings will be useful for comparing manmade replicas of water noise to see how well the replicas function.
Shallow Water, more Isolated
Time: 15:36
Date: 14 April 2015
Just like the first selected area, this area was close to the shore of the lake and the water is therefore relatively shallow. This area is not as connected to other parts of the lake. The hydrophones barely moved after being dropped in.
The rippling of the water splashing against the shore is softer in this recording compared to the previous. This might be because this area is slightly more isolated, as there is restricted water flow between this portion and the majority of the lake.
The sound is even more subtle here. Occasional "trickles" can be heard, but overall this is a very calm area, and it comes across as such on these recordings.
The two recordings are combined, and distant birdcalls, along with the sloshing water and occasional underwater trickling creates a very calming sonic environment.
Deeper Water, on the Dock
Time: 16:02
Date: 14 April 2015
One of the docks was open, and a recording was done there. The dock extended to a decent distance from the shore, so a better idea of the soundscape in the middle of the lake could be obtained. The recording, as previously mentioned, was interrupted by brief moments of human voice. Otherwise the soundscape is quite quiet.
Since this recording was taken closer to the middle of the lake, there is significantly less splashing and sloshing due to the fact that the shore is a ways away. The reeling in and out of a fishing pole and an older man's voice piercing the soundscape can serve as a reminder of how interconnected soundscape components are. They all interact with each other and mesh together; it is not practical to remove just one component of a whole soundscape, but much more so to study how it fits.
This is interesting. It should sound different from what you expected a deeper portion of the lake to sound like. There is quite a bit of bubbling and trickling that this might as well be the outside sound of a brook.
The combined recordings seem to sound similar to the others, but according to the two above, it seems like the two are reversed. The outside soundscape is quieter than the aquatic one, and the aquatic one is the one that is actually active and provides the "splashing" sounds. This might be because there is more physical water movement when there is more water, such as in this case, whereas in shallow water there is relatively less water which in turn does not flow as much.
Overall thoughts:
The lake is not as still as expected, due to external factors such as wind. Splashing sounds are present in the outside soundscape in shallower waters but much less so in deeper waters, and while the aquatic soundscape for shallow water is relatively unintersting, that for deeper water consists of sounds like that of a flowing brook. This soundscape is much less diverse than that of Ellerbee, yet both are equally calming. These sounds are obviously more real than manmade replicas of "nature sounds", but they both do the job as it seems to be the overall type of sound that calms the mind, no matter where it came from.
It is important to note that in both cases, the above water soundscape includes more of the water sounds or just as much as the aquatic soundscape does. The aquatic soundscapes generally sound quite different from expected; don't really sound like what we think water should sound like.